Cade York’s two misses of game-winning field goals may be a game-changer
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
PHILADELPHIA
The scoreboard doesn’t mean a thing in preseason unless you’re a kicker.
And now, after missing not one but two game-winning field goal tries after the two-minute warning, Cade York has made it harder than ever for the Browns to not – at the very least – try out some kickers.
York was enjoying a 3-for-3 game on a night on which he almost certainly had to make every makeable kick after starting the preseason 0 for 2. His conversions from 43, 37 and 43 yards were a gigantic relief to a head coach who doesn’t want to spin the kicking carousel preceding a season of high hopes.
And then the worst possible thing happened.
With the chance to put the Browns ahead in a preseason taffy-pull against the Philadelphia Eagles, York flared a 47-yard field goal way outside the right goalpost – just like his previous two misses in the Jets and Commanders games.
But, wait. An illegal formation penalty on the Eagles gave York a reprieve. The ball was spotted six yards closer -- not just five – seemingly a 1-yard gift by the officials.
And then York’s second attempt from 41 yards was pulled outside the left goalpost.
Within minutes, York was trending on X (formerly Twitter).
Final score: Browns 18, Eagles 18. Ugh.
This Cade York field goal from 43 yards was good. Two attempts at a game-winner were not. (Cleveland Browns)
After five days in Philadelphia, the Browns boarded their buses to the airport knowing they had a bona-fide kicking crisis on their hands, which is poison to a team seeking to make headway in the toughest division in the NFL.
Thank goodness the NFL changed the rule a few years ago to eliminate overtime periods in preseason. A potential third miss by York may have resulted in a bus ticket back to Cleveland, rather than a seat on the team charter flight home.
Afterwards, coach Kevin Stefanski tried to profess confidence in York.
“Everybody’s working through preseason,” he said. “Cade wants to make those so we can finish. He’s like any young player on our roster and he’s got to work through it.
“Obviously, making the first three is great. He knows he wants to make that last one. That’s something I think he’ll continue to work through.”
Stefanski has been steadfast in saying there was no need to bring in another kicker to compete with York. He was asked if he felt the same.
“I do. I think [for] all of our players, not just Cade, preseason is a time to work on your craft and get better. He’s disappointed to not make that kick at the end," the coach said.
York is usually the first player out of the locker room when he has a bad game. But the rabid Northeast Ohio media on hand in Philadelphia staked him out this time and York took the high road in the Q&A after the game.
“Confidence is never going to be an issue for me,” he said. “[I’ve] bounced back every week, but definitely was moving in the right direction. Again, trying to take off at the right time of the year. I don't think the preseason so far has been a good indication of how I've been kicking so far. I mean, in training camp it only means so much, but I think I've missed one kick out of like 40, 45. Still hitting the ball well. I've just had that right miss a couple times and just got to pull it back down the middle and keep going.”
It appeared that on York’s second attempt his left plant foot slipped.
“I have to go back and watch it,” he said. “I think it was maybe just a little bit of overcompensation for the first one. Again, I'm hitting the ball well, not having an issue. Just, again, trying to peak at the right time. Season's in three weeks now.”
The ending of this third preseason game for the Browns should not in any way detract from the play of two guys on the roster bubble who had tremendous games – one on offense and one on defense. They were receiver Austin Watkins and linebacker Mohamoud Diabate.
Watkins, who didn’t join the team until the launch of training camp at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, continued his totally unforeseen quest for a roster spot. The USFL import caught seven of eight catchable balls among a whopping 14 targets for a game-high 139 yards. He pulled in one with his right hand for a 23-yard gain and topped that with TD catch of 32 yards on which he displayed sideline awareness and hand dexterity to beat two defenders at the 10-yard line and run it in.
On a night on which all the starters watched from the sideline in dress clothes, Watkins was indisputably the best offensive player on the field for both teams.
“He did a nice job,” Stefanski understated. “With those receivers, it's can you get open and then can you go make a play when the ball's in the air. And I think he did both tonight, so I was really pleased with his effort. Kid’s very, very competitive.”
There was a defensive standout for the Browns, too. His name is Mohamoud Diabate.Diabate is an undrafted free agent linebacker from Florida and Utah. He wears No. 43. It’s time to get to know him, because he was all over the field in a 60-minute game for him and probably earned a roster spot Thursday night.
Diabate has had a good camp mostly under radar. But this was a breakout performance. He tackled Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell in the end zone on the Browns’ first defensive series for the defense’s second safety in two games, forced a fumble after a catch by running back Trey Sermon that led to three more points, influenced a sack of Eagles backup QB Marcus Mariota, and led the Browns with seven tackles.
At 6-4 and 225 pounds, Diabate is one of the biggest linebackers on the roster.
“I thought he's very active,” Stefanski said. “He flies around the field, did a great job ball-searching there, getting the ball out. Really pleased with a ton of energy. And that's kind of talking about earlier with our guys just competing for 60 minutes. I thought he was right there leading the charge.
“I think he's done a nice job [all camp]. I think you go back and watch really his tape from the previous two games from the Jets and the Commanders, I think you see a player that's playing very active.”
The play of Watkins and Diabate rendered heartthrob QB3 Dorian Thompson-Robinson a footnote in his first NFL preseason start. DTR was AOK on his first series, which resulted in no points because of a lost fumble by running back John Kelly at the 1-yard line. He put up only six points in his first half of work – the defense added two more on the Diabate safety – and was 13 of 25 passing for 164 yards and a 72.8 passer rating.
Overall, the Browns left Philadelphia generally pleased with their three days of work against the Eagles. Now they have to decide what to do about their kicking situation. Long-time veterans Robbie Gould, 40, and Mason Crosby, 38, are home waiting for calls. Will the Browns dial up either? With 3 1/2 weeks until the season opener against the Bengals, it's the only drama surrounding the Browns.
