Cleveland Browns news: Dustin Hopkins quietly breaks two franchise records

The hits just keep coming for the Cleveland Browns. They continue to lose one player after another as Dawand Jones, Maurice Hurst, and Jedrick Wills were all ruled out for the remainder of the season this week. Of course, this is nothing new for this team.

2023 has been all about navigating adversity as the Browns have been dealt some serious blows when it comes to injuries. Despite this, they just keep finding ways to win and are now in line for a playoff spot. All they need to do is take care of business down the stretch, and there's enough belief in this locker room that it's hard not to buy in despite the injuries.

While all the news was breaking in regard to IR moves, several other stories flew under the radar. That includes Dustin Hopkins breaking a couple of records that Phil Dawson has held for quite some time. That story and more can be found in today's news round-up.

Cleveland Browns News

K Dustin Hopkins breaks 2 records held by Browns legend Phil Dawson in game against Jaguars — Camryn Justice, News 5

"Hopkins hit a 55-yard field goal with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter. That kick was the eighth field goal Hopkins has made this season over 50 yards, the most of that length by a Brown in a single season. Browns legend Phil Dawson had held the record, kicking seven 50+ yarders in both 2011 and 2012."

In addition to making more 50-plus yard field goals than Phil Dawson, Hopkins also broke his record for the most field goals made in a single season. Dawson hit 30 of them back in 2008 and Hopkins is now at 31. It's safe to say Cleveland is happy with the trade they made to bring Hopkins in this year.

‘He can take us all the way’: Joe Flacco keeps Cleveland Browns in playoff hunt — Talia Naquin, Fox 8

“He’s so good,” raved former Browns running back Greg Pruitt Monday on FOX 8 about Joe Flacco. “He can take us all the way,” he added. He says Flacco’s experience makes all the difference with his quick decision-making and calm under pressure. “I understand how important experience is in the game,” Pruitt said.

It's been a while since Flacco was the starter for an NFL team but he has been through it all. The former Baltimore Raven even has a Super Bowl ring under his belt. Some might think it's crazy to think he can get another with the Browns, but Greg Pruitt is not one of those people.

AFC North Power Rankings: Browns, Ravens, and Bengals making playoff push — Casey Kinnamon, DPD

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of a glorious free fall but the rest of the AFC North won this past weekend. Casey Kinnamon now takes a look at how the division stacks up with this weekly AFC North Power Ranking. The playoffs are in sight for nearly every one of these teams, which is rather impressive.

Joe Flacco's performance raises questions about the value of Deshaun Watson's record-breaking contract — Ethan Simpson, DPD

Ethan Simpson asks if the performance of Joe Flacco is an indictment of Deshaun Watson. So far, Watson has spent much of his time with the Browns "shaking off the rust" but Flacco came in cold and started firing the ball all over the field. Perhaps this puts pressure on Watson to step up his game in 2024.

Browns defense grades well in front of home crowd in Week 14 win over Jaguars — Eddie McDonald, DPD

Cleveland gave up 27 points but much of that was due to turnovers from the offense — as well as an assist on the final score by the refs. Overall, the defense still played very well in Week 14 as they knocked off the Jaguars to improve to 8-5.