The Dallas Cowboys have a glaring problem with their special teams, and opponents are exploiting it like crazy. Get this: they’ve allowed two blocked field goals in just two weeks, starting in Week 3. Seriously, two blocks in back-to-back games is a massive red flag.
Two Blocks, Two Weeks, One Huge Problem
The first kick got stuffed in Week 3, a huge 59-yard attempt by Brandon Aubrey against the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil. That one stung big time because the Cowboys ended up losing the game 34-31, a three-point difference. You do the math. Then, in Week 4, it happened again. The Houston Texans got in there and blocked Aubrey’s field goal try. Luckily, Dallas pulled out a 34-30 win with some last-minute heroics from Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, so it didn’t cost them the game, but the pattern is impossible to ignore. There have only been six blocked field goal attempts in the entire NFL through four weeks, and the Cowboys are responsible for a third of them. That’s not just bad luck; that’s a serious, definite issue.
The “C and D Gap” Is Wide Open
So, what’s going on? Is it Aubrey’s kicking? Nope, not according to Jerry Jones. He was on 105.3 The Fan this week, flat out saying, “The problem isn’t with the kicker, it’s with the protection there.” He added he was “shocked” it happened twice in a row, because you’d think they’d have fixed it. But Texans coach DeMeco Ryans spilled the tea on what they found. Ryans told his team’s radio crew that during film study, they “definitely saw a breakdown in the protection” and “seen it consistently.” He said they “saw a weakness there in the C and D gap area.” When one side of the Cowboys’ line gets overwhelmed, the players apparently look unsure who to block. Will Anderson Jr. for the Texans basically went untouched up the middle to block that kick, and Ryans said a defender should *never* be able to penetrate like that. It’s a fundamental breakdown.
The Cowboys have a Thursday night game coming up, which means barely any practice time. But if they’re smart, they’ll be spending every second they’ve got trying to fix this glaring special teams flaw. Because if they don’t, other teams are going to keep watching that film and keep exploiting it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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