The Dallas Cowboys have a phenomenal kicker in Dan Bailey. An undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma State, Bailey only has one miss on 28 field goal attempts this season and has made 25 straight. Even more impressive are Bailey’s four game-winning field goals this year. However, that last stat isn’t so impressive for the Cowboys as a team; Dallas must learn to win close games without relying Bailey in the end.
The Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins 20-19 on Thanksgiving thanks to Bailey’s last-second field goal. Bailey wasn’t the only reason the Cowboys won, but it almost seemed as if the team let up in the game, knowing Bailey would be there to win it in the end.
Dallas hasn’t had a reliable kicker like Bailey in years, so it’s natural the Cowboys are not hesitant to use him. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett isn’t afraid to engage in a kicking battle to win a game, but maybe he’s a little too quick to revert to Bailey.
Bailey should be a luxury to the Cowboys, not a necessity. Dallas is on a four-game winning streak as November ends, something that’s become somewhat of a tradition during the Tony Romo era. Now the toughest part of the year lies ahead.
The Cowboys must face the New York Giants twice and the Philadelphia Eagles once the last five weeks of the season. Those three divisional games are beyond critical to Dallas’ playoff hopes. Bailey will no doubt leave his mark on every one of those games, but he shouldn’t be the primary factor the Cowboys win or lose.
Garrett must get the Cowboys to put opposing teams away like the St. Louis Rams and Buffalo Bills. Of course, neither of those teams is a legitimate playoff threat, so Dallas still has to learn put good teams away, too.
Last season, the Cowboys lost to a much less talented Arizona Cardinals team about this time of year. That loss came amidst a streak where the Cowboys won five of eight games after Garrett took over as head coach. This year, a similar situation against the same team could derail a four-game winning streak for Dallas if the Cowboys aren’t careful.
That means beating a weaker team without having to rely on Bailey in the game’s final moment. Dallas needs to take advantage of Arizona’s weak defense and put a lot of points on the board while stifling the Cardinals’ 11th-worst NFL offense. The Cowboys need a dominating win on the road to improve to 8-4 and head into the season’s final stretch. Bailey will be there if needed, but the Cowboys can’t fall back on him every week.
Follow Jeric Griffin on Twitter @JericGriffin
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