Dustin Hopkins won't play 'comparison game' despite 'respect' for Ravens' Justin Tucker

BEREA — Dustin Hopkins is one of 32 kickers in the NFL. On Sunday, he and the Browns will be facing Justin Tucker, who may very well be one of one.

How do you know the Baltimore Ravens kicker is in his own stratosphere? Because not even his own peers dispute that distinction.

"I mean, it's hard to argue with what he's put out there," Hopkins told the Beacon Journal this week as the Browns prepare to play the Ravens on Sunday. "He's done really great things. So, yeah, man, from a kicking standpoint, obviously I've got tons of respect for what he's done. And I've said this before, we're in a results-oriented business, right? Results matter as far as the job things you've done, and it's kind of your resume as you put out there and it's hard to argue with his resume."

Tucker's resume may very well bring him back to Northeast Ohio someday, only that time to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The five-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler comes into Sunday's game as the most accurate kicker with at least 100 career field goal tries in the history of the game, having made 367 of 407 (90.2%) attempts over his 12-year career.

Tucker is 26 of 29 (89.7%) in the final two minutes of regulation. He's 17 of 19 (89.5%) in the final minute of regulation and 5 for 5 in overtime.

"I think mostly just the consistency of it," Browns punter Corey Bojorquez told the Beacon Journal. "I mean, if you watch him, practically every single kick looks exact same and obviously his field goal make percentage throughout his career is just nuts."

It's not just the accuracy overall. It's the accuracy from long range, where he's 58 of 63 (69.9%) from 50-plus yards.

Tucker is 4 for 6 this season. The greatness of the Texas native can be summed up by the general reaction of shock from many to those misses, which were from 59 and 61 yards.

"It's 59 and 61," Hopkins said. "Let's just say I'm not worried about how Justin's going to be throughout the year. I think he'll be fine."

The knowledge of Tucker being on the other sideline has been known to get into the heads of some kickers over the years as his future Hall of Fame status has grown. Those watching pregame warmups before both games the Browns played against the Ravens last year couldn't help but notice an attempt by then-rookie kicker Cade York to try, consciously or subconsciously, to match his counterpart on kicks.

Hopkins has faced Tucker before, twice in the regular season and multiple times in the preseason while with the Washington Commanders. So the aura that may overwhelm a younger kicker isn't there for the 10-year veteran.

"At a personal level, I don't really play the comparison game," Hopkins said. "I just try to be the best version of myself. That being said, I have a huge amount of respect for him, and he's done stuff that I don't know if too many people have ever done."

Hopkins has been the best version of himself since coming over in an Aug. 28 trade with the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite kicking in a steady rain in his first game in Cleveland, he's 7 of 8 on field goals and 4 of 4 on PATs through three games.

The lone miss was on a 43-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter of the loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's been 5 of 5 kicking at home in a stadium he called "notorious" when he was acquired by the Browns.

Just as impressive has been his distance, as he's 2 of 2 on field goals of 50-plus, including a 55-yard kick — one yard shy of his career long — in Pittsburgh. He was 15 of 30 for his career entering the season from 50-plus yards.

"He's got a big leg, and we knew that, and that was attractive to us, for sure," assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said of Hopkins. "Dustin has had a great career. He's hit a high percentage. I don't know what his career over 50 is, to be honest, but he's done well in both games and practice settings for us, so we're confident in his ability to hit from distance."

It may not be Tucker-like for Hopkins. For the Browns, though, it's good enough.

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 respects Ravens' Tucker, but not into 'comparison game'