Dustin Hopkins kicks and Myles Garrett's block: 5 Browns signature special teams moments

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Dustin Hopkins kicks and Myles Garrett's block: 5 Browns signature special teams moments

Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Mon, Jan 22, 2024 ·

6 min read

Dustin Hopkins puts out the fire he started with game-winner at Baltimore Ravens

Hopkins had made a kick that proved to be a game-winner for the Browns before they arrived in Baltimore in Week 10 to face the Ravens. That was his kick in Week 6 that ended up the difference in a win over the San Francisco 49ers . That one, though, came with 1:40 remaining and, spoiler alert, required the 49ers special teams to not come up as clutch. This time, Hopkins' 40-yard field goal was an either/or proposition. Either he made the kick, which happened as time expired, and the Browns capped a furious fourth-quarter comeback from as much as 15 points down for a 33-31 win. Or Hopkins missed, and the Ravens won 31-30. It came down to that because of Hopkins' leg earlier in the fourth. After cornerback Greg Newsome II intercepted a pass by Lamar Jackson and returned it 34 yards for a TD to pull the Browns within 31-30 with 8:16, it seemed it was automatic that Hopkins would tie the score with his point-after kick. Except he missed the kick, leaving the Browns in the hole and leading to Hopkins to acknowledge the escape act after the game when he said, "I feel a bit like an arsonist that put out his own fire and then gets a pat on the back."

Myles Garrett leaps over the Indianapolis Colts to block Matt Gay 's field goal

It may have been the most jaw-dropping play of the season, regardless of phase of the game. To set the scene, the Browns and Indianapolis Colts were tied 14-14 with 10:16 remaining in the second quarter of their Week 7 game in Indianapolis. The Colts had the ball fourth and 19 from the Browns 42, and called upon the big-legged Matt Gay to try a 60-yard field goal. That's when Garrett did his best Superman impression. At the exact moment of the snap, Garrett leapt over right guard Quenton Nelson and right tackle Bernhard Raimann . By the time holder Rigoberto Sanchez had the ball, Garrett was basically waiting for Gay to kick it. Gay did, Garrett blocked it and cornerback Denzel Ward recovered the ball for Cleveland . Garrett was asked if it was a difficult task to leap over a couple of linemen, to which he responded, "It depends if you're me or not. If you're me, it's another day at the office." The Browns went on to win the game 39-38 thanks to four field goals by Hopkins , including kicks of 54, 54 and 58 yards.

Jake Moody misses from 41 yards to help Browns hold on to beat San Francisco 49ers

The first last-second kick this season didn't belong to the Browns, but to the 49ers in Week 6. Hopkins had given the Browns a 19-17 lead with 1:40 remaining with a 29-yard field goal. The 49ers, though, seemed primed to answer that kick with one of their own. San Francisco moved from its own 25 to the Browns 23, where 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was willing to let 30 seconds run off instead of trying to run one more play to get a little bit closer. The decision proved costly when rookie kicker Jake Moody missed from 41 yards out just to the right while kicking toward the west end of the stadium. The miss secured the Browns' first truly big win of the season. Oh, it was also the first game started by P.J. Walker at quarterback. Walker was starting in place of Deshaun Watson , who missed his second consecutive game with a rotator cuff injury.

Dustin Hopkins goes back-to-back with late game-winning field goals over AFC North rivals

Hopkins had four kicks in the final two minutes of games that gave the Browns the lead. Two of those came in the final 10 seconds of games. Both of those came in a two-week span in Weeks 10 and 11 to beat AFC North rivals. The first was the previously mentioned game-winner at the gun in Baltimore. The next week, kicking toward the same end of the stadium from which the 49ers' Moody had missed, Hopkins kicked a 34-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining to break a tie and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10. Maybe just as impressive as the kick itself was the drive led by rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who had replaced Watson — who sustained a season-ending shoulder injury against the Ravens — at quarterback and led the Browns 48 yards in eight plays and 1:18 of clock time. Thompson-Robinson was 6-of-6 passing for 42 yards to start the drive before spiking the ball to stop the clock with 5 seconds remaining to set up Hopkins' heroics.

Corey Bojorquez uncorks a 72-yard punt to flip the field on Jacksonville Jaguars

Cleveland Browns punter Corey Bojorquez makes a punt against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 29, 2023, in Seattle.

Cleveland Browns punter Corey Bojorquez kicks a punt against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 29, 2023, in Seattle.

Corey Bojorquez had a solid second season as Browns punter. Rarely was he a major liability. At times, he was a major weapon, such as during the Browns' Week 14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Browns, leading 7-0, were forced to punt from their own 10 with 4:33 remaining in the first quarter, So Bojorquez unloaded arguably one of the best punts of his Cleveland tenure. The punt sent Jacksonville's Parker Washington back to his own 18, where he fielded the punt and was immediately tackled by Pierre Strong Jr. That made both the actual distance and the net distance on the punt 72 yards. Jacksonville went on to go three and out on the offensive possession, and the Browns went on to win the game 31-27.

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