Brandon Aubrey’s Rare Off Day Highlights Cowboys’ Frustrating Loss to Vikings
In Dallas, it’s not often a kicker missing a 50-yarder makes headlines - but that’s the kind of standard Brandon Aubrey has set. And when you’ve been nearly automatic for two and a half seasons, even a couple of misses can feel like a full-blown crisis.
Through 13 games in 2025, Aubrey had missed just two field goals. That’s it.
And if you remember the start of his career - a record-breaking 35 straight makes - you understand why Cowboys fans have come to expect perfection from their All-Pro kicker. But in Week 15, with the playoffs hanging by a thread, Aubrey had his first real stumble of the season.
In a 34-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings - a defeat that dropped Dallas’ already slim postseason hopes to below one percent - Aubrey missed two field goals, matching his total for the entire season up to that point. And while neither attempt was a chip shot (from 59 and 51 yards out), the timing and context made them feel heavier than the distance on the stat sheet.
Still, Aubrey was responsible for more than half of Dallas’ points in the game. He knocked through four field goals on six tries, including every point the Cowboys scored in a second half that was otherwise a black hole for the offense. But in a game where every possession mattered, those two misses loomed large - one just before halftime with the game tied at 14, and another in the fourth quarter when Dallas had a chance to retake the lead at 26-24.
Instead, Minnesota capitalized on the field position after the second miss, marching down to score a touchdown and stretch the lead to 31-23. Dallas came up inches short on a fourth-down rush on the next drive, and the Vikings added a field goal to make it a two-possession game.
Aubrey would hit one more from 41 yards late, but it wasn’t enough. The Cowboys couldn’t recover the onside kick, and that was that.
After the game, Aubrey didn’t shy away from the moment. He owned it.
“If you play the game long enough you’re gonna have some days like this,” he said. “Just feels different being at home.
First time for me [this type of game] happened at home. But I’ve had days like this every year.
I’ve had one specifically every year, so I bounced back those years and just do the same thing.”
He’s not wrong. In his rookie season in 2023, Aubrey’s only two misses came in the regular-season finale in Washington, ending his historic streak.
In 2024, he went 40-for-47, with just one two-miss game - again, in Washington. He responded to that outing by finishing the season 15-of-17.
That bounce-back ability is part of what’s made Aubrey so reliable. And he’s not planning to change a thing.
“Nothing needs to change in the process,” Aubrey said. “I struck the first one well [from] 51, just left it a little right of the target.
And then off the toe for the second one from 59. So, pretty easy fixes for me.”
Aubrey’s technique - that smooth, almost effortless motion - has caught the attention of analysts like Cris Collinsworth, who marveled at how Aubrey seems to stop his follow-through just as his foot makes contact. It’s a style that minimizes extra movement, reducing the risk of inconsistency. That kind of precision likely traces back to his soccer roots, where as a midfielder, long-range accuracy was a must.
And while the kicks didn’t all go through the uprights, Aubrey did give fans a rare treat: a six-yard rush off a heads-up over-the-shoulder flip from his holder, converting a fourth down and keeping a drive alive. It’s not often a kicker shows up in the offensive highlight reel, but Aubrey managed to do just that.
Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer summed it up postgame:
“I actually said it in there; we’re spoiled with Brandon Aubrey, you know what I’m saying? He’s such a great player.”
That sentiment is shared across Cowboys Nation. But that trust can sometimes lead to aggressive decisions - like sending him out for a 59-yarder in a critical spot - when punting or going for it might be the smarter call.
“I had no question in my mind he was going to make it,” Schottenheimer said of the long attempt. “And I feel good about that decision.”
The Cowboys entered Week 15 leading the league in total yards per game, but you wouldn’t have known it from their second-half performance. Drives stalled, red zone trips turned into field goals, and the offense simply couldn’t finish when it mattered most.
“We were making field goals rather than getting some touchdowns,” team owner Jerry Jones said afterward. “And that ended up biting us, especially when we missed the two that we missed.”
In the end, Aubrey’s misses weren’t the only issue - but they were part of a broader theme. It was one of those games where everything felt just a little off. And in a season where every play is magnified, especially when the playoff window is nearly shut, even the most reliable leg in the league can’t afford a misstep.
The Cowboys will try to regroup on Dec. 21 when they host the LA Chargers in their regular-season home finale. Whether or not the playoffs are still mathematically in play, expect Aubrey to come out swinging - or rather, kicking - with the same calm, confident approach that’s made him one of the league’s best.