Saints kicker Wil Lutz feels Zane Gonzalez's pain, consoles Browns kicker after brutal day
Sunday was an awful day for Zane Gonzalez.
The Cleveland Browns kicker missed two field goals and two extra points in a 21-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints, with two of those misses coming in the final two critical minutes of the game.
His performance drew jeers from LeBron James. It cost the Browns a chance at their first win since 2016. And it might cost him his job on Monday.
Wil Lutz feels pain of Zane Gonzalez misses
But one man empathized with Gonzalez’s struggles on Sunday, and he was on the other team.
Saints kicker Wil Lutz went to the opposing sideline on Sunday to console Gonzalez after his game-tying attempt failed with time running out.
Lutz: Kicking is ‘our livelihood’
As a fellow kicker, Lutz knows the pressure that comes with the job and how unstable job security is at the position. He wrote about Gonzalez on Twitter after the game.
At the end of the day it’s not “just a game” to us, this is our livelihood. Our careers rely on personal performance, as does everyone else’s. I will never pull for someone to fail, as I know I will too. I hope to see nothing more than Zane have an amazing career going forward. https://t.co/sSurZwjEKb
— Wil Lutz (@wil_lutz5) September 16, 2018
In an environment as competitive as the NFL where the stakes are high with each win or loss, Lutz provided a unique glimpse into the human element of the game on Sunday.
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