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Dustin Hopkins continues to kick with 'ice in his veins' with another Browns game-winner
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- Dustin Hopkins continues to kick with 'ice in his veins' with another Browns game-winner
CLEVELAND — It just seems like Dustin Hopkins had to know his leg was going to be called upon to help the Browns defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. It seemed like such an obvious thing, the kicker had to even be able to pin-point when the moment occurred.
Even if, despite the recent happenings for the Browns, it seems like such a foregone conclusion.
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"What time did the game start?" Hopkins said after his 34-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining gave the Browns a 13-10 win over the Steelers . "I'm just kidding. You never know. It's crazy the way a game unfolds. Certain times when you're almost sure you're going to kick throughout the flow of a game, and then you don't. And then other times you're like it's probably not a kicking situation, and then it happens."
It's the second week in a row the Browns have needed Hopkins to send them home a winner. The previous Sunday, he connected on a 40-yard field goal as time expired to win 33-31 at the Baltimore Ravens .
The last two weeks are the first time since the Browns returned to the league in 1999 they've won back-to-back games on last-second field goals. It's the third time this season Hopkins has kicked a go-ahead field goal in the final two minutes of regulation, the other being his 29-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining that gave Cleveland a 17-16 lead over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6.
Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins (7) lines up for a field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Cleveland.
Hopkins is now 26 of 29 on field goals this season.
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"Ice in his veins," tight end David Njoku said. "Ice in his veins. He's a beast."
The Browns got the ball back at their own 35 with 1:18 remaining in a tie game to set up the field goal. Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson hit four consecutive passes to move from there to the Steelers 26 with 25 seconds to play.
From there, it was just a matter of the Browns getting a few more yards to give Hopkins a chance. He had a target line in mind from the start, but he wouldn't reveal the line.
"Before the game starts, we usually have those conversations of our lines each way for end of half, end of game scenario," Hopkins said. "We communicated again because over the course of a game, for example, today, the wind changes. You get a little less help or maybe it's not as hard on one end as it was early on.
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"There's a conversation you have on the sideline. … I see some offenses when they get to a line they kind of shut down and they don't move the ball anymore. And it's a testament to these guys to put me in position to be successful by moving the ball down there a bit more."
Unlike the previous week in Baltimore, there were still a couple of seconds left on the clock after Hopkins' kick went through. That was a couple of seconds that gave the Steelers a chance to snatch victory away from the Browns.
However, that never occurred. Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett found George Pickens for 6 yards, and then he lateraled to Diontae Johnson for another 7 before Mike Ford Jr. made the game-sealing tackle.
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That's when the celebration began for the Browns. And for their kicker, who continues to make quick work of becoming a fan favorite despite having not been with the team before Aug. 28.
"Sometimes from the stands looking out, you might look around and see everybody cheering," Hopkins said. "But really, after something like that, you're locking eyes with teammates and connecting. It's good memories to have as a team and with brothers and with guys you see sacrifice a lot and work really hard throughout the week to even have a chance to win.
"So it's funny. I'm very thankful for the fans, but in those moments you kind of phase out and connecting with your brothers."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dustin Hopkins has 'ice in his veins' with another Browns game-winner
