Dallas Cowboys rolling with rookie kicker? Mike McCarthy urges patience – Dallas Cowboys Blog

FRISCO, Texas – In 2007, Mike McCarthy was 44 years old and in his sophomore year as Green Bay Packers Head Coach. He is still learning how to trade and sometimes emotions will flare up, especially with a rookie starting.

McCarthy is now 58 years old and faces a pressure-filled 2022 as he enters his third season as a Dallas Cowboys coach and will likely face a similarly uncertain kicking situation that could cause emotions to flare up again.

With the Packers in 2007, Mason Crosby was a pick in the sixth round. As 2022 begins, McCarthy isn’t sure who will start Dallas.

The Cowboys have only one on their 90-man roster – Jonathan Garibaynot drafted out of Texas Tech.

In all likelihood, the Cowboys will add another initiator before flying to Oxnard, California, for training camp in July, but the veterans available all have a history that’s less guaranteed to be successful than Garibay .

Maybe Cowboys re-signed Chris Naggar, who was released ahead of the rookie minicamp this spring. He kicked in an NFL game. They will likely keep an eye on player-to-player games across the NFL this summer, and may even look to the USFL for help.

“Patience,” McCarthy said with a smile when asked how difficult it felt to be in the kicker.

How is his patience these days?

“Today is better than 2007, I would say,” McCarthy said. “It was a good experience.”

In 2007, Crosby made 31 of 39 goals as the Packers made it to the NFC Championship Game. He hit a 42-yard runner in his first game to beat Philadelphia Eagles and none of his misses came in a game that Green Bay lost.

In one of his starts during a pre-season training session that was made public to the media, Garibay showed off a strong leg. He took many kicks from 50 yards, but also missed a shot from 55 yards and a 53 meter player headed wide of the box on the right. McCarthy believes the experience of snapper Jake McQuaide and keeper Bryan Anger will help.

“You can definitely feel his ability,” McCarthy said. “…He’s off to a good start. He’s just young.”

Crosby has a better college record than Garibay, though Garibay made a 62-yard run to beat Iowa State and help Texas Tech qualify. This is the longest run in FBS last season. Garibay missed just one attempt all year (15 out of 16) and was selected for the first team in the All-Big 12. In 2020, he has made 8/11 attempts.

“Dude, as a striker you always dream of moments like that, just get the chance,” said Garibay. “I live with the saying that I want to be ready for an opportunity, if you don’t have it then have and not be ready for it. I think when it happened, I was very excited about the opportunity to kick that pitch. .”

The Cowboys’ kick situation last season was too shaky, even for a team that finished 12-5 and won the NFC East.

Greg Zuerlein missed six scoring attempts last season, when three of the Cowboys’ five losses were decided by less than three points. He missed at least one kick in each of those games, even though he took a 56-yard runner to beat. Los Angeles charger in Week 2.

The Cowboys remain in Zuerlein’s corner, believing (hopefully?) the veteran will find his form again after not kicking for the season and nearly the entire training camp because of back surgery. In March, they decided to move on from his $2.2 million salary, even though they almost re-signed him before he joined. New York Jets.

The way the Cowboys are handling position dates back to the 1990s when they relied on former specials coach Steve Hoffman to find a cost-effective free kicker, and he mostly found them with guys like Chris Boniol, Richie Cunningham and Lin Elliott.

In recent years their approach is similar to 2011 when they had five starters in the training camp roster – Dan BaileyDavid Buehler, Dave Rayner, Shayne Graham and Kai Forbath.

Bailey, not transferred to Oklahoma State, landed the job and at one point became the most accurate kicker in NFL history. He made 32 of 37 goals as a rookie.

According to the Bailey model, Garibay will have an internal advantage.

At least for now, months before the game begins when McCarthy’s patience is high.

“That means they expect a lot from me,” says Garibay. “At the end of the day, I expect a lot from myself. … It’s a lot mentally. Mostly mentally. There are a lot of great men who have strength, they are real strikers. goodness, strength, and accuracy Sometimes it’s a matter of spirit, 99% is spirit and the other 1% is probably spirit too.

“I think there’s a lot of expectations and I’m just trying to do as I’ve always done – focus on myself, not on the competition and take it one step at a time. That’s the mentality you have. there’s always – one for one.”