ARLINGTON, Texas — Earlier this week, Dallas Cowboys special times coordinator John “Bones” Fassel described 2023 first-team All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey’s range as “near unlimited.”
He backed up his special teams coordinator’s praise Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Aubrey drained a 65-yard field goal, the longest in Cowboys history and the second-longest in NFL history. He broke the previous Dallas record held by Brett Maher (63 yards). Aubrey said there is “nothing different” about hitting a kick that is foreign to almost everyone in league history. Sunday was Aubrey’s third career NFL attempt at a kick that deep: he nailed a 66-yarder in the 2024 preseason at the Las Vegas Raiders, and he made a 66-yard field goal in Week 1 at the Cleveland Browns that was nullified by a delay of game penalty.
“Nothing different, just going out there, and that’s kind of in a range we’re comfortable with going out there and just hitting it,” Aubrey said postgame on Sunday. “I think that’s the third one we’ve called from just about that range, so getting comfortable with it. I’ve seen it a few times, and at this point I know I can do it. The coaching staff knows I can do it, so they’ll keep calling it.”
He’s like the Steph Curry of kickers,” Fox Sports NFL analyst and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said Sunday on the broadcast. “There’s no range that’s too far.”
As Aubrey alluded to, his two prior attempts McCarthy allowed him to try in August and early September played a huge role in the 65-yard make against Baltimore in Week 3.
“Yeah, it’s something where Coach [McCarthy] probably in preseason took a big risk, sending me out there to go, but in preseason it’s less of a risk. So I just wanted to see if I could do it and keep proving that I can do it. He’ll keep calling it and get more comfortable with it. Might be a few other guys in the league can do that as well, but maybe don’t have the coaching staff that give you the opportunity to do it.”
Aubrey’s counterpart on the opposite side of the field, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, holds the NFL all-time record for longest field goal with a 66-yard, game-winning make against the Detroit Lions in the 2021 season. Aubrey said Wednesday that he would “absolutely” like to break Tucker’s record.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Aubrey said Wednesday when asked if he thinks about that record. Any time you can get your name in the record book, it’s pretty fun. So any way I can do that would be awesome.”
Now that Aubrey is an NFL-record 15-for-15 on field goals of 50 yards or deeper to start his NFL career, head coach Mike McCarthy will certainly provide him the opportunity to break Tucker’s mark if the situation arises
“He’s a weapon,” McCarthy said postgame on Sunday. “Common sense, not common sense, but there’s definitely a decision, you know, part of the recommendation was the punt there, particularly that early in the game. But I think it’s A: I believe in them. And B: I think you have to give Brandon those opportunities early. If we think we’re going to be in the playoffs and we’re playing big clutch games in January and December, you don’t want to trot them out there the first time to kick a 64 to win the game. So that’s always been my thinking. That’s what I’ve always done as a head coach, and he just keeps delivering.”
“I just want to go out there and, and do my job and make sure they can rely on me,” Aubrey said postgame on Sunday. “You just want to be part of the team, a positive part of the team.
It’s unclear if the chance to break Tucker’s record will come in Week 4 since Dallas has a short week and a matchup on the road at the 1-2 New York Giants on “Thursday Night Football.” That schedule will cause Aubrey to slightly tweak his game prep over the next few days.
“Just limit the kicks, focus on rest and make sure the leg feeling good going into the game,” Aubrey said.
