3 wrinkles the Cowboys must iron out before the 2023 season
By Reid Hanson
2. The kicking situation
The kicker position has been a concern for Cowboys Nation since late last season. The previously brilliant Brett Maher caught a case of the yips and ended missing six of his last seven extra point attempts.
Extra points are considered automatic in the NFL so misses are regarded as lapses in concentration rather than an issue of ability. The mental hurdles Maher faced ultimately sealed his fate. The Cowboys showed virtually zero interest in brining him back in 2023 and seemingly preferred to gamble on untested options rather than an option who had tested and failed when the stakes were at their highest.
How has it been going?
As the great Peter Gibbons would say, “Not great, Bob.”
The Cowboys began camp with Tristan Vizcaino and Brandon Aubrey duking it out at kicker. Both kickers struggled from intermediate distances which led to the dismissal of Vizcaino and now it’s a one-man race which concerns just about everybody.
Aubrey is a fun prospect with a big personality so he’s certainly someone to cheer for, but the inconsistencies in camp have to be ironed out before anyone can feel good about the situation heading into 2023.
I’m not loving the kicker situation in Dallas this year, but the reality is, no one (not named Baltimore) should feel good about their kicker. It’s an extremely unstable position in the NFL pic.twitter.com/BBcZmArPW4
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) May 24, 2023
Emergency options like Mason Crosby are still available but history shows veterans can be just as unstable as young unproven alternatives. The Cowboys kicker issue may not ever be wrinkle-free in 2023, but it sure could use a steam treatment between now and Week 1.