Cleveland Browns should be happy with Cody Parkey

The Cleveland Browns kicker has provided much-needed stability

The Cleveland Browns secured win number 10 on Sunday night with a dominant 20-6 victory over the New York Giants. But despite the encouraging victory, many fans remained unsatisfied with the play of Browns K Cody Parkey, who missed an extra point attempt from nearly 50 yards out.

Parkey has been the subject of much criticism the past two weeks, as he has struggled to maintain the consistency he has shown for much of the season. In addition to the long extra point against the Giants, Parkey missed a field goal and extra point the week prior in a Monday night clash with the Baltimore Ravens.

It’s easy to pile on the kicking game when points are left on the board, as many fans and observers seem to expect nothing less than perfection from NFL kickers. But as frustrating as those missed opportunities may be, there is absolutely no reason for the Browns to even consider moving in another direction at kicker.

How quick we are to forget about the tumult that the kicking game has brought this team in recent years. It was only 14 weeks ago when the Browns made the decision to release former fifth-round pick K Austin Seibert in favor of the veteran Parkey. And while fans still seem disappointed with his performance as of late, Parkey has brought a stability and consistency to the kicking position that the Browns haven’t had since Phil Dawson departed for the San Francisco 49ers in 2013.

Parkey has made 17 of his 20 field goal attempts, with his three misses being equal to that of Ravens K Justin Tucker who is statistically the most accurate kicker in NFL history. His three misses on extra points are slightly more concerning, but his 39-for-42 clip on those kicks still rank him ahead of some of the league’s best kickers such as Atlanta’s Younghoe Koo and Kansas City’s Harrison Butker.

Surely if the Browns had any of those three names I just mentioned, the fans wouldn’t be calling for a change at the position. Kicking struggles have become a common part of the NFL game in recent years, and while I understand the frustration that might bring to fans, it’s important to view everything that happens with the proper context.

Kickers who have historically been regarded among the best in the game have seen their numbers fall to career-low levels, with Stephen Gostkowski and Greg Zuerlein ranking well below Parkey in field goal accuracy. And when you see league-wide struggles at the position, it’s a stark reminder that it just doesn’t get a whole lot better than what we’re seeing right now out of Parkey.

Another thing to consider about the talent pool at the position is the effect that COVID-19 protocols have had on roster management. Nearly every team in the NFL has two kickers in their building, rostering a second kicker on their practice squad as a safety measure should their starting kicker need to be placed on the reserve list. And with many of those teams using their protection clause to keep those kickers from being poached by another team, it’s tougher than ever to find NFL level talent at the kicking position.

Perhaps the Browns will consider bringing in a rookie this offseason to compete with Parkey and give them someone who is more consistent from long range. But in the interim, there is no discernible reason why the Browns should look at changing anything about the kicking team.

Parkey may not be the best kicker in the league but he has been more than serviceable, and unless the Browns can find someone they can count on to be consistently better, standing behind Parkey and continuing to build his confidence are by far the team’s best option.