Dallas Cowboys: 3 Big takeaways from win vs. Lions in Week 4
By Randy Gurzi
3. Maybe the move wasn’t just about money
One of the biggest storylines this season for Dallas was their release of kicker Dan Bailey. Yes, he is the second-most accurate kicker of all-time and it’s rare to see a team move on from a player who has been so reliable in his career.
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Yet, that’s exactly what the Cowboys did. And it was a blindside as no one knew there was a kicking battle going on. Instead, we saw Brett Maher handling kicking and punting duties in the preseason as he seemed to be the camp leg that kept the veteran rested ahead of the season.
When making the 53-man cuts, Dallas called an audible and decided to go with Maher. The first thought was maybe Bailey was hurt. He did struggle with injuries in 2017 and was just 15-of-20 kicking and even missed his first two career extra points.
Once it was said he was healthy, heads started to explode. Many didn’t understand the move and the front office even had the audacity to say it wasn’t just about saving roughly $3 million. Well, maybe they were right.
While Maher did miss his first kick as a Cowboy, he has been perfect since including an impressive 4-of-4 on Sunday including his 38-yard game winner. Maher is proving to be the player the staff thought he was.