LAS-VEGAS — Although it’s an unofficial statistic since it’s a preseason game, fans at Allegiant Stadium witnessed a historic play on Saturday night when Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey kicked a 66-yard field goal to close out the first half – a mark that matches Justin Tucker’s 2021 NFL record.
For Aubrey, it was the culmination of a life-changing week that saw him and his wife Jenn welcome their newborn son, Colton, on Monday morning. Just five days later, he was back on the field, this time as a father and still the reliable long-range shooter.
“Of course, it’s baby Colton who changes our lives,” said Aubrey. “Being able to perform without him means a lot to me.”
Just minutes after the end of the game against the Rams last week, Aubrey boarded his flight back to his wife, just in time to welcome the newest member of his family.
“The game ended at 4:39 p.m. and then I was in the terminal at 5:15 p.m.,” he said. “I got out of there.”
“I got home around 12:30 and we went to the hospital at 4:30. No sleep and then obviously no sleep for the next few days.”
With 28 seconds left in the first half, Trey Lance and the Cowboys offense took over at their own 14-yard line with only one timeout. Four plays later, with Lance gaining 38 yards, Dallas had one last chance at their own 48-yard line with three seconds left.
Instead of testing Lance’s arm strength with a desperate attempt, head coach Mike McCarthy sent Aubrey on the longest attempt of his career.
“You can feel it slide off your foot,” Aubrey said of the kick. “It feels like there’s nothing there, there’s no resistance. It slides off your foot. It stays on your foot for about half a second and then it just flies.”
The snap and the hold were perfect. The kick, historic.
“Yeah, I was pretty sure I had it,” he said. “I had to be careful for a couple of seconds not to hit the power fade. I hit it nice and straight. After about a second I knew it was in.”
