Dustin Hopkins comes up big for Browns in clutch situations with Phil Dawson in attendance
CLEVELAND — Dustin Hopkins' eyes lit up and excitement filled his voice.
The kicker wasn't talking about his go-ahead 29-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining that provided the winning margin in the Browns' 19-17 victory over the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers. He was talking about former Browns and 49ers kicker Phil Dawson, who was the "Dawg Pound Captain" for the game.
“I didn’t know he made it into town,” Hopkins said. “I’ve talked to Phil several times. I’ve played against Phil over the years. When I first got here, he was very generous with the information he gave me and trying to help me get an understanding of the stadium."
Dawson's words to Hopkins were meant for days like Sunday, when the wind and the rain make the "notorious" label Hopkins gave Cleveland very apt. And not just days like them, but moments like the one he had to help the Browns improve to 3-2 this season.
All of those were what Dawson seemed to thrive in during his time as Browns kicker from 1999-2012. That's what the Browns have been seeking since he left and signed with, interestingly enough on Sunday, the 49ers in 2013.
They may have found it in Hopkins. That's especially true if he continues to make kicks in the game situations and weather conditions he dealt with on Sunday.
Not that Hopkins, a Texas native, is ever going to warm up — pun intended — to that weather.
“I’m soft so I’m trying to stay dry out there,” Hopkins said. “Those guys are in the trenches, they’re all muddy, and I’m there with my jacket on the heated seats. Honestly, I try to stay dry because I’ve kicked with waterlogged cleats before and it doesn’t make the job easier. But it didn’t rain that bad today so that wasn’t a huge issue. The wind was off and on; the Dawg Pound side was the harder side for me today.”
Hopkins had never kicked a field goal in Cleveland Browns Stadium before the Browns acquired him in an Aug. 28 trade with the Los Angeles Chargers. He's now 10-for-11 on them after four games in the stadium, none of them bigger than the ones he kicked against the 49ers.
The veteran was 4-for-5 on Sunday, and the Browns needed every one of them to escape with one of their more improbable wins in recent memory. While the biggest kick was the 29-yarder he made to give the Browns a 19-17 lead. Less than two minutes earlier, his 50-yarder gave them a chance to win it with a kick by pulling them within 17-16 with 3:21 left.
“He did his thing, man," wide receiver Elijah Moore said. "I feel like that's such a slept-on position. Those guys that play that role, they're lifesavers, and think about how many games come down to that moment. So credit to him and what he's been doing. I know he's been working hard in practice. He doesn't even really talk. He goes over there and kicks the whole practice. So respect to him.”
Respect is something Hopkins feels not just for Dawson, but for all of those who share his specific job in the game of football. His 29-yard kick became a game-winner only because 49ers rookie Jake Moody's 41-yarder with 9 seconds left drifted wide right.
Hopkins said moments like that can be bittersweet in a way.
“I’m always conflicted,” Hopkins said. “I love winning, I want to win, but I never root against a guy with the same condition as me because I’ve been there and it’s not a good feeling. It doesn’t change who you are, but it feels better when you’re on the good side of that whole process. I feel for him."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dustin Hopkins comes up clutch for Browns as Phil Dawson watches
