The Browns lost by three points in a game they missed eight points’ worth of kicks. A particularly painful loss even for a team that’s had a lot of them, and a miserable game for second-year kicker Zane Gonzalez. This is of no consolation to anyone involved, but it’ll be Gonzalez’s last game as a Brown.
(In addition, a source who is definitely not Dan Bailey or Dan Bailey’s agent says Dan Bailey is garnering interest from multiple teams, but that Dan Bailey is watching and waiting for the right team.)
In just the second half of the loss to the Saints, Gonalzez missed two field goals, of 44 and 52 yards, and two extra points. This comes a week after Gonzalez’s only FG attempt, a game-winning attempt, was blocked (and was off-target anyway). He made no excuses.
“I had more than enough opportunities,” Gonzalez said after Sunday’s loss. “Let the team down, let the city down and it’s on me. I take full responsibility for it.”
Kicking’s brutal. It’s the most nakedly binary aspect of football. There’s nowhere to hide when you have a bad day at the office, and one singularly bad day can be enough to cost you your job.