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I wonder how many of the anti-Dawson crowd had no problem with him this past Monday night.....





Browns' Dawson getting his kicks
Veteran stays on field-goal streak

Saturday, November 22, 2008
By STEVE DOERSCHUK
STEVE.DOERSCHUK@CANTONREP.COM


BEREA Phil Dawson got all the glory for kicking a 56-yard bomb at Buffalo, but he is quick to nod to the man who takes a knee.

Dawson credits holder Dave Zastudil for putting the ball where it needed to be.

Dawson's holder in the first half of his 10-year Browns career was Chris Gardocki, who remains one of his best friends.

Zastudil, the Browns punter and holder since 2006, has grown on Dawson.

They celebrated together when the 56-yarder held up for a win.

"I told him on the sidelines, 'I'm still in shock,' " Zastudil said. "He works so hard. I'm so happy for him."

Mike Bobish, a Canton carpenter who attended the game, had a good view of the kick. He said it hit in the net behind the goalposts and probably would have been good from beyond 60 yards.

"When (Rian) Lindell tried his kick after Dawson's, the noise was amazing," Bobish said. "Everyone thought it went through. Then it was completely quiet."

Zastudil said such a kick on a night so cold really was a feat.

"The ball hardens and doesn't travel as well," Zastudil said. "A lot of people would think a kicker backed up that far in that wearther had no chance. With Phil, I knew we had a chance."

It used to be a joke with the Browns: Gardocki, the punter, was their pernnial MVP.

It's no joke that Dawson, the 3-point specialist, should be considered for team MVP honors in 2008.

Dawson is 22-of-24 on field goals this year, the only misses coming from 51 and 54 yards.

He is 3-of-3 from beyond 50 yards this month, hitting from 54, 52 and 56 in consecutive games.

That's a pretty amazing November when you consider this:

In Dawson's previous nine seasons, his longest field goals after October were:

-- 45 yards at San Diego in 1999.

-- 42 yards against New England in 2000.

-- 44 yards at Tennessee in 2001.

-- 40 yards against the Bengals and Falcons in 2002.

-- 50 yards at Kansas City in 2003.

-- 50 yards at Baltimore in 2004.

-- 44 yards at Oakland in 2005.

-- 51 yards at Baltimore in 2006.

-- 51 yards at Baltimore — although he didn't call "bank shot" — in 2007.

Dawson had four post-October field goals of 50-plus in his first nine years years. He has his three longest post-October field goals within the last three weeks.

Dawson, who will turn 33 on Jan. 23, really has gotten better with age.

"He works very hard at lifting, running and conditioning," special teams coordinator Ted Daisher said. "I think his leg is stronger than it was last year.

"I think he has found a routine, or whatever he is doing with (strength coach) Tom Myslinski. They have got something going."

Some kickers, on some teams, aren't respected as football players.

"I never looked at Phil that way," said Willie McGinest, who was Dawson's New England teammate in 1998 and has been his Cleveland teammate for three seasons.

"For one thing, Phil's one of our captains. Plus, when I was with Adam Vinitieri in New England, he was helping us win Super Bowls with his foot.

"I respect kickers."

I was at the ravens game...can't remember if it was the 52 or 54 yard kick...I think the 54...I swear that kick would have been good from 65....easily....it went through high and hadn't yet started to come down....it was a bomb.

Really, it might have been good from 70.

or 80...

don't worry I'm sure he'll get a 40something FG blocked somewhere along the way and the GET Nugent crowd will be upon us (trade a 2nd round pick ) - with all the incompetence we have had surrounding our team I have always been flabbergasted at those who chose to complain about DAWSON...

The best BROWN player since our Expansion start...should have been in several Pro-Bowls and he's got a GOOD 5+ years still left in that leg.

Hopefully he gets in the Pro-Bowl. Ponti did as well as Cribbs.

JMHO

The one thing that has always kept Phil out (in my opinion) is that he didn't have the distance kicks (50+) that others have.. this year he has them.. hopefully this is his year.

I'm having trouble remembering who all wanted Dawson gone? Haven't been hearing much about that this year

He's having an amazing year, and it does look like his leg is stronger than ever before. My only knock on him in the past was distance. Amazing that's he's addressed that at this point in his career. Who'da thunk that was even possible? I couldn't be happier to see the guy do well.

"The one thing that has always kept Phil out"

IMO more so the fact that he didn't have any Play-off big kicks for his name to be known the following season. Or fighting for a playoff spot/home field advantage stuff...come up with the big wins....Dawson???season saving 4th win - those kind of heroics just don't get you in the playoffs.

Toad...that funk came with the team totally out of it and Dawson having medical problems with his kid...actually many were easy on him during that time surprisingly.

Nah, most of the Anti-Dawson Crowd's claim to fame was that Dawson would only kick off in the endzone about 7-10 times a year. Of course he was always in the top 10 department of that stat as well. But it was most rampant when Nugent was available through the draft.

JMHO

As far as I'm concerned, he should be a top priority to make happy as long as his demands aren't outlandish.

Does he deserve to be a top 5 paid kicker? Absolutely.

Quote:

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It's no joke that Dawson, the 3-point specialist, should be considered for team MVP honors in 2008.

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Phil & Shaun have been consistants in a very nonconsistant year, both deserve to be Pro-Bowlers


I agree, Phil has earned his money and deserves to be in the top 5 of the NFL pay wise.