Cowboys’ field‑goal protection exposed twice as rivals copy same weakness

With a Thursday night game approaching, the Dallas Cowboys are facing a very specific issue on special teams. Their field‑goal unit has had two Brandon Aubrey attempts blocked in the last two weeks, exposing a flaw in protection that opponents are now openly targeting.

Back‑to‑back blocks highlight a protection problem

The first block came in Week 3 in Brazil, when the Baltimore Ravens got a hand on a 59‑yard attempt. That play loomed large as Dallas ultimately lost by three points. One week later, the Houston Texans managed to block another Aubrey kick, though the Cowboys escaped with a narrow win thanks to late heroics on offense.

Across the league, there have been only six blocked field‑goal attempts through four weeks, making it notable that one team accounts for two of them. Team owner Jerry Jones said on local radio that the issue lies with protection rather than the kicker and expressed surprise that it appeared in back‑to‑back games, noting that such problems are usually corrected quickly once they show up on film.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged that his staff specifically targeted what they saw on tape. He said that film study revealed repeated breakdowns in protection, particularly on one side of the line, and summed it up by saying, “We saw a weakness there in the C and D gap area.” His staff used the Ravens’ successful block as a template for their own plan.

Ravens created the blueprint, Texans followed it

By overloading one side of the Cowboys’ field‑goal line, opponents have forced confusion in blocking assignments. Against Houston, that approach created a clear lane for Will Anderson Jr., who came through essentially untouched to get the block. On a field‑goal unit, a defender should rarely be able to penetrate the interior that cleanly.

A similar breakdown occurred against Baltimore, but on the opposite side. On that play, Keondre Jackson shot through a large gap between linemen Terence Steele and Drew Shelton to get to the ball. The two plays point to communication and technique issues within the protection rather than a problem with leg strength or timing from Aubrey.

Personnel shuffling ahead of matchup with Buccaneers

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has conceded that the field‑goal unit must improve and indicated that personnel changes were already being considered even before injuries came into play. Shelton has not practiced this week due to a hamstring issue, increasing the likelihood that Dallas will roll out a different combination up front on Thursday night.

That puts added responsibility on special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen to stabilize the operation before the Cowboys face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game will feature two kickers familiar with having attempts blocked: since the start of the 2025 season, Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin has had more field goals blocked than any other kicker, with Aubrey now tied for second in that span. After two costly lapses in as many weeks, every Cowboys field‑goal attempt figures to draw extra scrutiny.