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If the Dallas Cowboys had a big problem in the first half of their opener in Tampa Thursday night, it was definitely their kicking game. Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein missed two field goals and one extra point and each of those misses ended up costing money in a game the Cowboys would ultimately lose 31-29.
Zuerlein hit a clutch kick, which came in the fourth quarter. With the Cowboys down 28-26, Dak Prescott led his team into Tampa Bay territory before practice eventually stalled at the Buccaneers’ 30-yard line. As the Cowboys faced a fourth and six points, Mike McCarthy had two options: try the first down or send Zuerlein, who scored one in three in the first half.
McCarthy chose to try the kick and his faith in Zuerlein paid off when his kicker punched a 48-yard yardstick.
It was quite the redemption kick for Zuerlein, who had a lousy first half.
For Zuerlein, the trouble started in the second quarter. After the Cowboys made it to the Tampa Bay 13-yard line, McCarthy had a decision to make with his team against the fourth and third. At this point in the game, the Cowboys were only leading 14-7, so McCarthy decided to send in his kicker for a 31-yard field goal attempt, a shorter kick than an extra point.
McCarthy likely regretted his decision almost immediately after Zuerlein landed an ugly kick that missed the left end.
To put into perspective how rare it is to miss a kick from this range: NFL kickers hit 96.3% of their kicks in this range in 2020 (only nine kickers missed a basket of 31 yards or less in 2020 and six of those nine are not on an active roster until week 1 of this year).
Fortunately for the Zuerleins, the missed basket actually worked for Dallas, as the Buccaneers ended up returning the ball a play later when Ronald Jones lost a fumble.
Five games after the fumble, the Cowboys capitalized on turnover when Prescott hit Amari Cooper for a 5-yard touchdown. However, the TD celebration was short-lived as Zuerlein missed the extra point (he hit the left upright) and the Cowboys were down 14-13.
At this point, NBC lineup reporter Michele Tafoya noted that she spoke to Zuerlein before the game and that “he didn’t sound that confident,” which isn’t something you want to hear about. your kicker.
At the end of the half, Zuerlein also missed a 60-yard attempt, but given that there was only one successful field goal of 60 yards or more in the entire NFL last offseason, it wasn’t a huge shock that Zuerlein missed the kick. Overall, he went 1 of 3 on field goals in the first half and 1 of 2 on extra points.
The game against the Buccaneers was only the second game Zuerlein has played this year, including the preseason. Due to offseason back surgery, the kicker missed the Cowboys’ first three preseason games and only ended up playing in their preseason final.
The fact that he had a 48-yard field goal might be enough to save his job, but don’t be surprised if the Cowboys bring in a few kickers this week. The point is, Zuerlein left four easy points on the board – with his 31 yards missed and the extra point missed – and in a game that was decided by two points, he will likely hit himself for his performance.
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