Less than a week after missed kicks derailed the Browns' chance at victory, rookie Greg Joseph delivered on the big stage.
Joseph, whom the Browns signed off the street last Monday after parting ways with Zane Gonzalez, made a pair of field goals in Thursday night's 21-17 win over the Jets, including a 45-yarder in what was his NFL regular-season debut.
"I'm here to do a job and glad we got it done. It was a great team win and ecstatic for the guys in this locker room. Everyone in the city has been long awaiting this," he told reporters postgame.
"The fans are awesome. They were loud. They were cheering after every kick I made in warm-ups. It felt surreal. I made sure I just walked out there and take a lap. It was amazing."
Indeed, fans at FirstEnergy Stadium erupted in applause as Joseph's kicks sailed through the uprights during pre-game warmups. After all, Browns fans watched days earlier as four missed kicks — including two extra points — dash their hopes of a win against the Saints in New Orleans.
Then, when it actually counted, Joseph came through in a bout where Cleveland needed every point it could get.
"He made plays. The ball went through the uprights," coach Hue Jackson said with an ear-to-ear smile. "I tell him, that's what you're here for. As long as it goes through the uprights, you can stay. If it does not, you might have to go. That's just how it works."
Joseph, the former FAU standout who spent the preseason with the Dolphins, has been in Cleveland for about a week now. He's now part of a team that snapped a 19-game winless streak and watched as teammates, coaches and fans celebrated a much-needed victory Thursday night.
Against that backdrop, he knew he had to step up then and in every game moving forward.
"I know that I was shocked at how bad the guys in this locker room wanted it. It inspired me to give them everything I've got," he said.
"I'll do this every game – leave everything out there. I'm just happy for the guys in the locker room, especially those who have been through a lot here. They deserve it more than anyone."
