Browns rookie Cade York wanted shot at NFL field goal record
BEREA — Days after Cade York unsuccessfully pleaded with the Browns to kick a 68-yard field goal in Cincinnati, the rookie didn’t waver.
“If I’m asking for the kick, I think I can make it,” York told the Beacon Journal on Wednesday in the locker room at team headquarters.
“I wanted to break the record. That was it.”
Justin Tucker set the NFL record for the longest field goal made when he nailed a 66-yard attempt last season, and the five-time All-Pro kicker and the Baltimore Ravens (9-4) will face the Browns (5-8) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
With the Browns trailing by 10 points Sunday in a 23-10 AFC North road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals (9-4), York wanted a shot when quarterback Deshaun Watson spiked the ball to stop the clock, setting up second-and-10 at the 50-yard line with three seconds left in the first half.
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The CBS telecast showed an animated York lobbying to Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer on the sideline. York repeatedly pointed to himself and raised his arms while saying, “Come on,” among other things.
“I’ve never been set up so perfectly to have a chance like that before,” York said. “Three seconds left in the half. Really not much repercussions if things don’t go well on it. So I think that was more what it was about.
“I know it may not have looked great on TV, but it was more me being confident, saying, ‘I want it.’
“I had some people mention, ‘Why were you like crying about wanting to kick?’ It wasn’t really supposed to be like that. Obviously, the camera paints a picture, but it was more just I wanted the chance to go hit it.”
York, 21, didn’t get his way. Coach Kevin Stefanski called a Hail Mary. Watson’s desperation pass into the end zone fell incomplete, and the Browns were behind 13-3 at halftime.
Priefer supported Stefanski’s decision.
“I’m looking at the yard line, and I told Coach [Stefanski] what I thought was a good yard line to get to, and we weren’t quite there yet,” Priefer said. “And Cade’s over there campaigning, which I love. I love the competitiveness of the young guy. I kind of chuckled. Somebody said I was laughing, but I was smiling because I was pleased that he wanted to kick that.
“But he doesn’t look at the big picture of we have to cover with a lot of big people against a return man. They’re going to put a guy deep like we would underneath the goal post, and if [his kick is] short, they’re going to bring it back. That’s a hard thing to cover for. We have two D-linemen on our field. We have six offensive linemen on our field-goal unit. We have a snapper, a holder and a kicker. So it’s going to be tough to cover with those guys against a good returner.
“That’s why I’m glad we didn’t kick that in that situation. A game-winner, obviously, you have to [kick]. I think we were close on the Hail Mary, so I think the percentages say go with the Hail Mary there. Maybe if it’s 5 yards closer, maybe we go for [the field goal].”