Browns quick hits: 'Future Hall of Famer' Justin Tucker changes approach vs. Ravens

BALTIMORE − There are kickers who are nameless and faceless in a lot of ways. They obviously have an important role on Sundays, but they're often interchangeable.

Not Justin Tucker.

As the Browns head into Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens, Tucker is someone they know quite well. They also know they have to account for him as they prepare for the AFC North showdown.

“A great, great, great player," coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday. "He impacts games, as we have seen. When you cross midfield when they are on offense, they are getting very close to being in scoring territory and field goal range. He is a great player. You have to know that at all moments of the game depending on where they are offensively, he is getting close to field goal range.”

Tucker is arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history. He's the best in league history in having made 91.1% of his kicks, going 337-of-370 for his career.

However, the two things that makes Tucker someone who factors into opposing game plans is his accuracy from a long distance, and his ability to hit clutch field goals late. He's 52-of-71 on field goals of 50-plus yards, tied with Jason Hanson for third-most behind Matt Prater (66) and Sebastian Janikowski (58) in league history.

A year ago, Tucker made an NFL-record 66-yard kick at the gun to beat Detroit, one of 19 career game-winning kicks. He's made 61 consecutive fourth-quarter or overtime field goals, and 76 consecutive second-half or overtime field goals, both league records.

“I have been around a lot of good kickers – I have coached some of them and I have coached against a lot of them," special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said of Tucker, who's kicked three game-winners against the Browns since entering the league in 2012, the last a 55-yarder in Cleveland in 2020. "Obviously, he is up there. Whenever I see him, I call him ‘future Hall of Famer’ because I am sure unless we block a few this week hopefully that will take him down a notch. He is a great player.”

Browns rookie Cade York gets first NFL encounter with Justin Tucker

What Tucker − who was 30-of-33 as a rookie on field goals − has been to the Ravens over his career is what the Browns drafted Cade York in the fourth round in the hopes of becoming. York showed the distance and the clutch gene in his first NFL game, hitting a 58-yarder with eight seconds remaining to beat Carolina in the season opener.

It's been an up-and-down last five games for York, who was AFC Special Teams Player of the Week following the opener. While he's 13-of-15 on point-after kicks and 11-of-13 on field goals, he's had some big misses, specifically a missed PAT that opened the door to a 31-30 Week 2 loss to the Jets and a missed 54-yard field goal that cost them a 30-28 Week 5 loss to the Chargers.

On Sunday, the standard of kicking excellence in the NFL and the young upstart will cross paths inside M&T Bank Stadium.

“I bought him a Justin Tucker jersey – we are going to get it signed at the game, ‘To Cade. Best of luck in the AFC North. Love and kisses,'" Priefer said. "I think Justin is a good guy. I have had great conversations with him in pregame. We all know how great of a kicker he is. I know Cade respects him a lot. The guy has been doing it for 11 years, and any young kicker is going to be a little bit in awe of that type of performance or player who has had those type of performances in his career. Cade is a pretty down-to-earth guy. I am sure they will have their little conversation. Who knows? They are kickers. What are they talking about? Kicking.”

Deion Jones activated, Herb Miller among elevations for Browns

The Browns made official the long-expected activation of linebacker Deion Jones off injured reserve on Saturday. Jones, who was acquired in a trade Oct. 9 with Atlanta, was designated by the team to return on Oct. 12, but was not for the loss to New England.

"He has a lot of savvy from being in a different place," defensive end Myles Garrett said of Jones on Friday. "He’s learned different things, picked up a couple different things working with our defense but also having the experience and coaching that he has from other places, he’ll be able to fit in pretty easily, not only his-coverage wise and also to teaching some of that to some of the guys here with his experience. I think that’s invaluable to share his knowledge and pass on how he plays things and how he's able to fly around and make plays as well."

Cornerback Herb Miller was elevated from the practice squad to the gameday roster. It's the second consecutive game Miller has been elevated due to Denzel Ward's concussion, while he was also signed to the active roster for the opener at Carolina due to Greedy Williams' injury.

The Browns also elevated linebacker Dakota Allen from the practice squad. Allen had been signed to the active roster prior to last week's game, but was cut on Tuesday and brought back to the practice squad the next day.

Amari Cooper, Jacoby Brissett looking to get back on the same page

The best of Jacoby Brissett this season was often tied in with the best of Amari Cooper. The back-to-back 101-yard receiving days Cooper had against the Jets and Steelers coincided with Brissett's best two four-quarter games over the first six weeks.

It's no coincidence that it coincided with games in which the percentage of targets that Cooper caught was high. Over those two games, he caught 16 of the 21 passes thrown his way.

The last three weeks, those numbers have dropped. Cooper has been targeted 28 times over the last three games with 12 catches, including just four catches on 12 targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in last Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots.

"That's definitely not a good percentage in terms of balls being caught versus balls being thrown your way," Cooper said this week. "Definitely something that we have to work on and that's why we practice. I would love to catch 12 out of 12, you know what I mean? Just always room for improvement and that's why we're here."

Cooper said he and Brissett talked, as they usually do after every game. It wasn't necessarily just about getting the ball to him in better spots to catch it, as one of his catches last week was an incredible 13-yard comeback route on third-and-12 on the Browns' first third-quarter possession.

The connection between quarterback and No. 1 receiver against the Patriots didn't seem to be sounding alarm bells with the offensive coaching staff.

“Just wasn’t their day," offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. "Really, they have a good bond, they have a real good relationship and where they are and they communicate really well. Sometimes it just does not come to fruition.”

Baltimore Ravens happy to take the ball from you

The Ravens have been ballhawks through the first six games of the season. They've recorded 12 takeaways on defense, which is two behind the league-leading 14 by the undefeated Eagles and one behind the AFC East-leading Bills.

Those 12 takeaways including eight interceptions, tied with the Steelers for third-most in the league so far. Again, only Buffalo's 10 picks and Philadelphia's nine are more.

That's an added concern for the Browns, who have given the ball up six times over their three-game losing streak. That includes four interceptions by Brissett in that span, two of which came last week.

"I’ve been told a long time ago that stats are for losers," said Brissett, who's thrown five picks this season. "And when you turn on the film you see a bunch of guys that are ballhawks, guys playing at a high level and it’s definitely another level of focus on execution and focus on my part in decision-making and putting the team in the right position."

Baltimore's team leader in picks, safety Marcus Williams with three, is on injured reserve with a wrist injury. Cooper's former Alabama teammate, Marlon Humphrey, is second with two.

Patrick Queen, Marcus Peters and Josh Bynes each have an interception as well.

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns know Justin Tucker changes where Ravens enter scoring area