Kevin Stefanski expresses confidence in Dustin Hopkins

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke to the media Monday afternoon as the Browns face a quick turnaround after their Week 11 loss to the Saints. Week 12 starts early for the Browns as they host the Steelers Thursday night football.

The Browns entered the fourth quarter of their game against the Saints down 14 before allowing three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes to fall 35-14. While Stefanski and the Browns will work to correct the mistakes that handed them their eighth loss of the season with another game just days away, they will soon turn their attention to the Steelers.

“These Thursday night games don’t really allow you to spend a lot of time thinking about the previous one,” Stefanski said. “You’ve got to get into the next opponent, understand what they’re about as a team, offense, defense, special teams, all those things. And we’ve got to lock in this week versus a division opponent. That’s clear yesterday , like we talked about after the game, very disappointing to go into the fourth quarter with a chance and then not finish that game, and we all share it.

K Dustin Hopkins, who set the Browns single-season record with 33 made field goals in 2023, struggled in Week 11, missing each of his field goal attempts — a 51-yarder and a 27-yarder.

Before the 27-yard attempt, Hopkins attempted a 32-yarder, which also missed the goalposts, but was negated due to a defensive holding penalty on the field goal attempt.

When asked, Stefanski said he would not bring in another kicker to compete with Hopkins for the starting job.

“We expect him to make those kicks. He expects him to make those kicks himself. I’ve seen him make those kicks,” Stefanski said. “He’s been doing this for a very long time, but it’s still technique and he’s always going to make sure he’s sharpening his technique, if you will, and he’s going to continue to do that for us.”

On the season, Hopkins has made 14 of his 20 field goal attempts, with two of his misses coming within 49 yards. He has made 10 of his 12 extra point attempts.