NFL preseason recap: Cody Parkey misses his turn in Browns kicking competition

When Chase McLaughlin came out to try for a 49-yard field goal with 2:34 left in the Cleveland Browns’ NFL preseason game against the New York Giants on Sunday, he shouldn’t have been on the field. It was Cody Parkey’s turn to kick.

After McLaughlin scored the goal to cap Cleveland’s 17-13 victory, he gave the kick off. But McLaughlin shouldn’t have. Again, it was Parkey’s turn.

After the game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Parkey, an Auburn alumnus, suffered a quadriceps injury.

In the other NFL preseason game on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 15-10.

Until the fourth quarter on Sunday, Cleveland had two alternating rotations for its kickers – one for scoring kicks and the other for kickoffs.

In the Browns’ 23-13 preseason win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, McLaughlin got the first goal on a scored kick and Parkey was the first to kick off. In Sunday’s game, they reversed that order.

Against Jacksonville, McLauglin scored a field goal and two more points and Parkey scored two goals as each kicked off three times.

Against the Giants, McLaughlin kicked off to start the game. Parkey then took the first scoring kick – an extra point. Parkey followed with the kickoff for a touchback. This gave McLaughlin the next kickoff – another PAT – and the next kickoff. But the next goal kick was the 49-yard field goal, and that should have been Parkey’s turn, just like the kick-off that followed.

During his post-match press conference, Stefanski said he was unaware of the severity of Parkey’s injury.

“I don’t know. I really don’t,” Stefanski said. “He did it at one point, but I don’t know when.”

Cleveland re-signed Parkey to a one-year, $ 1,212,500 contract in March that included a $ 137,500 signing bonus and $ 200,000 in guaranteed cash. But the Browns also claimed McLaughlin on waivers on May 10 after he was released by the New York Jets.

Parkey started the 2020 season on the Cleveland practice squad. In the Browns’ 38-6 season-opener loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland kicker Austin Seibert missed a 41-yard field goal attempt and an extra point try and had both of his kickoffs returned. for 64 yards. The Browns freed Seibert and promoted Parkey before Game 2.

Parkey had 19 of 22 field goal attempts and 43 of 47 shots on goal with extra points in 15 regular season games and had 3 of 3 on field goals and 8 of 8 on extra points in two playoff games. playoffs last season.

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In the previous two seasons, McLaughlin played 15 games for five teams. In 2020, in three games with the Jaguars and one with the New York Jets, McLaughlin had 4 of 5 field goal attempts and 5 of 6 shots on goal after.

The Browns haven’t had the same main kicker in consecutive seasons since Billy Cundiff took on that role in the 2014 and 2015 campaigns.

In addition to Parkey, nine players from Alabama high schools and colleges entered the field in the New York-Cleveland game:

· Ryan Anderson (Daphne, Alabama) started as an outside linebacker for the Giants. Anderson made three tackles and shared a sack.

· Giants cornerback James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove, Samford) did not play.

· Browns defenseman Ronnie Harrison (Alabama) did not play.

· Chris Hubbard (UAB) started in the offensive right tackle for the Browns.

· Giants safety Chris Johnson (Oak Mountain) played but didn’t record any stats.

· Xavier McKinney (Alabama) started safety for the Giants. McKinney made two tackles.

· Reggie Ragland (Bob Jones, Alabama) started as the Giants linebacker. Ragland made three tackles.

· Giants cornerback Aaron Robinson (Alabama) is on the list of players physically unable to play and was not eligible to play.

· Browns wide receiver Anthony Schwartz (Auburn) did not play.

Chad Slade (Moody, Auburn) started in the offensive right tackle for the Giants.

· Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (Auburn) did not play.

· Giants long snapper Carson Tinker (Alabama) took care of the snaps in the second half, while starter Casey Kreiter took care of the snaps in the first half. Tinker broke three punches. Kreiter scored three punts and one extra point.

· Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount) did not play.

· Giants wide receiver Damion Willis (Troy) caught two passes for 21 yards.

· Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (Alabama) did not play.

· Browns linebacker Mack Wilson (Carver-Montgomery, Alabama) had two tackles.

San Francisco 49ers 15, Los Angeles Chargers 10

Four players from Alabama high schools and colleges entered the field in the San Francisco-Los Angeles game:

· Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Alabama) started safe for the 49ers. Clinton-Dix is ​​tied for the team lead with four tackles in his first NFL game since Dec. 29, 2019. Clinton-Dix did not play last season.

Forty-Niners offensive tackle Shon Coleman (Auburn) did not play.

Forty-Niners defensive end Dee Ford (St. Clair County, Auburn) did not play.

· Chargers punter Ty Long (UAB) averaged 44.0 yards, netted 36.3 yards, on seven punts.

Forty-Niners tight end Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy) played but didn’t record any stats.

Forty-Niners safety Jared Mayden (Alabama) tackled and intercepted a pass, which he returned 54 yards for a touchdown. However, a return hold penalty nullified the score, limiting Mayden to an official 16-yard return. Mayden intercepted a second and 19 shots from the Los Angeles 43-yard line by Chargers quarterback Chase Daniel with 13:16 left.

· Chargers’ long snapper Cole Mazza (Alabama) did not play. Mazza injured his shoulder last week in the first game of the preseason in Los Angeles.

Forty-Niners Safety Jaquiski Tartt (Davidson, Samford) is on the list of those physically unable to play and was not eligible to play.

Forty-Niners defenseman Jimmie Ward (Davidson) did not play.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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