Mclaughlin shows Browns, and himself, he can do it
All-pro defensive end Myles Garrett and running back Kareem Hunt dominated for the defense and offense Sunday at Firstenergy Stadium.
But special teams are vital, too, and kicker Chase Mclaughlin completed the trifecta of a memorable Browns performance in every phase of the game.
An NFL journeyman, Mclaughlin made all six of his kicks — field goals of 57, 41, 52 and 28 yards and two extra points — in a 26-6 victory over the Chicago Bears.
“I showed myself that I could do it,” Mclaughlin said. “It's something that you practice all the time, and you just pray for the opportunity to go out there and do it. To have it go exactly as planned is something great.”
Mclaughlin proved to himself he can be a weapon for the Browns instead of a liability. That is news to not only Mclaughlin, but also to the franchise.
“It's just good for the confidence overall — just trusting me,” he said. “To put me out there for the long kicks gave me a lot of confidence that they believe in me.”
Mclaughlin joined Phil Dawson as the only Browns to make at least two field goals of 50 yards or more in a game. Dawson did it twice in 2011 and once in 2012.
The 57-yard field goal Mclaughlin made to tie the score 3-3 in the second quarter is the third longest in Browns history and the longest since Steve Cox connected from 60 yards on Oct. 21, 1984.
“It wasn't my best hit,” Mclaughlin said of his line-drive kick from 57 yards, “but when it came off, I knew it was good.”
Mclaughlin won the kicking job by default after Cody Parkey suffered a quadriceps injury in the preseason. The Browns are the sixth NFL team for which Mclaughlin has kicked in the regular season since he entered the league in 2019 as an undrafted rookie free agent.
“To go bounce around from so many teams and to finally have a game like this, it's real rewarding,” Mclaughlin said, “and it shows that perseverance does pay off.”
Mclaughlin has made 5-of-5 field goals and 9-of-9 extra points this season. He is 6-of-7 on field goals of 50-plus yards in his career.