PUNTER PASS: Inside the Dallas Cowboys' Fake PAT Trick vs. New England
The Dallas Cowboys had no problem returning to their winning ways on Sunday, dominating the New England Patriots 38-3 at AT&T Stadium. While the offensive consistency and defensive prowess were on full display in Arlington, one note from Dallas' win has gone somewhat-unnoticed.
In the second quarter of Sunday's game, Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch gave the defense yet another score on the young season, returning a fumble 11 yards to pay dirt. That touchdown put Dallas up 16-3, and it appeared that the Cowboys were an extra point away from near-automatic kicker Brandon Aubrey from taking a 14-point lead.
Instead, the punter attempted a pass.
The snap went back to Bryan Anger (who doubles as the Cowboys' holder on field goals and extra points), and instead of the ball meeting the boot of Aubrey, Anger stood up, rolled to his right, and threw the ball to Chauncey Golston who waltzed into the end zone for the two-point conversion.
Dallas Cowboys punter Bryan Anger (5) prepares for the game against the Giants, at MetLife Stadium. Sunday, September 10, 2023
Okay, so the Cowboys now lead by 15 instead of 14. That's interesting.
It's an odd scenario to roll out a fake extra point early in a game, so what made head coach Mike McCarthy and special teams coordinator John Fassel pull this sleight of hand? Let's find out.
"Give John a ton of credit," McCarthy said postgame. "He brought it to me Tuesday night, something he saw on film. We had a check on it and got the look. Just like anything in this game, the players did a great job preparing, and it was very well-executed. We just felt it was something we could take advantage of."
The Patriots seem to have a trend of unique special teams plays in their games this season. On Sunday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, Brendan Schooler seemingly appeared out of nowhere offscreen to block a field goal in the second half.
This time, however, it was the Cowboys who got inventive on special teams, and it was just another feather in the hat of McCarthy in a game that sent his team to 3-1 on the year.
