Mike McCarthy explains Cowboys attempting 65-yard field goal in preseason game

On Monday, Dallas coach Mike McCarthy explained why the Cowboys attempted a 65-yard field goal in their preseason loss against the Rams. Given that the Cowboys lost by just one point, 13-12, against LA on Sunday, McCarthy’s choices as the play-caller are under scrutiny. Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey, going into year two with the team, made a career-long kick from 60 yards out last season, but didn’t attempt one any longer than that.

The head coach had a pretty good explanation that revealed his confidence level in the former DI soccer player.

“I really wanted to go for the one before that, 72 yards, Bones (John Fassel) wasn’t feeling it,” McCarthy said. “But (Aubrey) has incredible range. We just have great confidence in him. He makes them routinely in practice.”

The Cowboys were tied up at 6-6 when Aubrey missed from 65 yards out in the third quarter. Quarterback Trey Lance had just taken a five-yard sack on third and five to give Dallas fourth down and 10. Despite the long miss, Aubrey scored the Cowboys’ only points of the game, making four other field goals from 52 yards, 38 yards, 36 yards, and 30 yards out.

Aubrey back for Year 2

The addition of Brandon Aubrey to the team last offseason was one of the most consequential moves the team made. Aubrey set records as a first-year kicker in the league. He went 37-for-39 on field goals and 50-for-53 on extra point attempts in games last season, including the playoff game against Green Bay.

In year one, Aubrey also had 99 touchbacks on 109 kickoffs (90.8%) with an average of 64.8 yards. His success right out of the gate bodes well for Dallas as the league implements new kickoff rules.

Aubrey owns the NFL’s record for consecutive field goals made to start an NFL career. Against the Rams last season, he tied Cleveland Browns kicker Travis Coons’ league record, set in 2015, for consecutive makes to start a career with 18. He then surpassed Coons to set the new league record of 19 makes with a 51-yarder against the Philadelphia Eagles. He went on to extend the record to 35 makes to start a career.

Cowboys kicker rushes out of SoFi to welcome first child

Quickly after Dallas lost 13-12 to the Los Angeles Rams in SoFi Stadium, Aubrey was seen exiting the venue to meet his wife for the birth of their first child. The couple married in 2018 after Aubrey wrapped up his career in the MLS and USL and announced they were expecting this offseason.

Earlier this summer, Aubrey enlisted the help of his teammates to do a gender reveal for the baby. For the gender reveal, the Cowboys kicker provided his teammates with cupcakes. Some of the cupcakes were devoid of color inside, but as one of the defenders found, some had blue icing inside to reveal that they expected a baby boy.

The second-year star owes much of his success to his wife. It was she who first encouraged him to try his hand (or leg) at kicking in the NFL. The Cowboys signed Aubrey after he wrapped up a season with the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions. To make things sweeter, he grew up in DFW, playing soccer for Plano High School. He initially had an MLS career and a collegiate career playing soccer for Notre Dame.