Agent Leonard Roth confirmed to the Plain Dealer that the Clevealnd Browns have waived long snapper Ryan Pontbriand.
Pontbriand had a snap that went low Sunday, throwing off the timing of kicker Phil Dawson. It may have been why Dawson missed a 55-yard field goal. The Browns lost the game 23-20.
"There was nothing different by [the Bengals], and it was nothing on my guys," Pontbriand said after the game. "It was 100 percent me that time. It was just a bad snap."
Two weeks previous, Pontbriand had a snap hit off the foot of fellow lineman Alex Mack. That also changed Dawson's timing, leading to a missed 22-yard field goal. That came near the end of a game the Browns lost to the Rams 13-12.
Browns head coach Pat Shurmur told the media on Monday that the team has had discussions about bringing in a new long snapper. Now that will become a certainty.
"We've had discussions behind the scenes," Shurmur told reporters. "We haven't finalized our thoughts on that. It's important that we all produce and produce well. We can't be in slumps. It's important that we all perform, and we've got to perform all the time."
The Browns drafted Pontbriand in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, uncharacteristically early for a long snapper. Pontbriand has made two Pro Bowls during his career.