For years, the Browns’ special teams felt like a weekly liability. Now, it looks like one of the cleaner parts of the roster.
Corey Bojorquez has been steady ever since arriving in Cleveland, and he remains one of the league’s better punters. That was on display again against the Steelers, when he uncorked an 81-yard blast that flipped the field in a hurry. He keeps opponents pinned back, and he almost never hands them a freebie.
The biggest shift, though, has come everywhere else. Pro Football Network ranked Cleveland’s special teams No. 7 in the league with a 79.4 impact grade, a sign that this unit is finally helping instead of hurting. Under new special teams coordinator Byron Storer, the Browns are solving problems rather than creating them.
Andre Szmyt is a big reason why. After missing a would-be game-winning field goal in Week 1 of the 2025 season, the second-year kicker has responded with a near-perfect run.
He’s 8-for-8 on field goals and 7-for-7 on extra points this season, and his career-high 56-yarder beat the Steelers. He has also made 22 straight field goals and has turned into one of the most reliable kickers around.
There’s been real progress in the return game, too. Cleveland is averaging 28.2 yards per kickoff return, with Raheim Sanders and Malachi Corley handling those duties while Dylan Sampson is on injured reserve.
KC Concepcion, the explosive rookie, hasn’t yet popped a big play as a punt returner, but his speed keeps him in the conversation every time he touches the ball. A return breakaway feels more like a matter of when than if.
That’s the difference now for Cleveland. The Browns no longer have to hold their breath on special teams. They can trust it.
In Other News...
Browns Postgame Tragedy Leaves One Grim Downtown Cleveland Mystery
A postgame disappearance in downtown Cleveland has turned into a grim recovery effort after Phoenix Phillips, a 24-year-old Maryland resident and Pittsburgh Steelers fan, vanished after attending a football game. Police began a missing persons investigation after Phillips' abandoned cell phone was found near West 10th Street, a clue that narrowed the search but did little to explain how the night unraveled.
Emergency teams searching the area on Tuesday found a body in the Cuyahoga River, and authorities confirmed it was Phillips. The case has left the downtown area with a somber shadow after what began as a football outing, and the focus now shifts to piecing together Phillips' final movements in the hours after the game. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Have A Pass Rush Concern They Cant Ignore
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Now the Browns are dealing with a different kind of edge-rush question. Barnett missed a recent practice because of an ankle injury, and with an upcoming game on the schedule, Cleveland has to get ready as if it might be without one of its most productive pass-rush pieces. For a defense that already needed help there, that is a problem it cant simply shrug off. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Have A Quarterback Decision Watson Can't Ignore
Dillon Gabriels return to the Browns quarterback mix puts a little more pressure on a room that has already had to sort through injuries and uncertainty. Activated from injured reserve, Gabriel now gives Cleveland a 21-day window to decide whether he belongs on the active roster, and that timeline alone makes his status worth watching as the team keeps piecing together its depth behind center.
Deshaun Watson has already acknowledged Gabriels involvement around the team during his own injury absence, and he sounded confident in the quarterbacks Cleveland has on hand. The real question now is whether Gabriel pushes for the backup job or settles in as an emergency third option, a decision the Browns have to make while trying to keep the position stable and avoid another headache later on. [Read more 🡒]