by The Browns suffered another heartbreaking loss on Sunday, and this time, the loss might have been preventable had their starter and long snapper been on the same page during Cade York’s game-tying field goal attempt, which came with just over two minutes remaining.
With the Browns trailing, 23-20, late in the fourth quarter, Jacoby Brissett led the team to the Baltimore 37-yard line with just 2:10 left. At that point, the Browns’ offense ground to a halt, so they sent York out for a 56-yard field goal. Unfortunately for the Browns, they were called with a false start penalty that moved the kick back five yards (more on that penalty later).
Because of the penalty, York was supposed to be attempting a 61-yard kick, but that’s not what happened. Instead, the Browns’ starter (Corey Bojorquez) took a knee at the 50-yard line, making it a 60-yard field goal. On the one hand, it might sound like a good idea to move the kicker a yard closer when attempting a field goal from that distance, but in this case, the move backfired.
That’s Baltimore’s Malik Harrison blocking the kick.
Under normal circumstances, a starter will line up eight yards behind the line of scrimmage on all field goal attempts, and one of the reasons they do so is so the kick doesn’t get blocked. With Bojorquez only seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, that gave the Ravens a better chance to block the kick, and they made the most of it.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was asked Monday why Bojorquez lined up closer than usual on the field goal, and he didn’t offer much of an answer, blaming both Bojorquez and long snapper Charley Hughlett for the problem.
It was an odd response because it’s not an issue the Browns have to deal with at this point in the season. Adding insult to injury, York insisted the field goal would have gone in had it not been blocked.
“To be honest, it was 60 yards and a little bit upwind and left to right, and I had to drive it and it came off the foot really well and I promise you I was going to go in if the guy didn’t.” block him,” York said after the game (via Cleveland.com).
In Week 1, York kicked a game-winning 58-yard field goal against the Panthers and, as you can see below, Bojorquez was lined up eight yards behind the line of scrimmage. The center came from the 40th, and Bojórquez scored it in the 48th.
What is not clear this time is whether Bojorquez was told to line up closer or whether he made the decision on his own.
Before the 60-yard attempt, the Browns were actually going to attempt a 56-yard field goal, but were called for a false start. In the video below, you can clearly see that Bojorquez is set up for a 56-yard kick, so if the Browns were given a five-yard penalty, that should have moved the kick to 61 yards.
The false start itself was a controversial penalty, with many Browns fans feeling that the Ravens should have been called for defensive offside. However, as former NFL offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz noted on Twitter, the referees seemed to make the right call.
Dunn officially received the penalty and, as the video below shows, it was pretty clear he moved his right foot.
The five-yard penalty should have set up a 61-yard field goal, but the Browns cut a yard off the kick, which likely played a role in blocking the kick. It’s a weird way to lose a game, but it shouldn’t be surprising, because the Browns have continually found weird ways to lose this year.
