Over the course of what has been a wild 2025 season for the Dallas Cowboys, there have dramatic swings in production and efficiency on both sides of the ball. The defense was among the worst in the league to start the year, was reborn at the trade deadline, and foundered again after three games. The offense has been among the best in the NFL but lately, can’t get out of its own way in the red zone.
Through all that tumult, there has been just one reliable commodity, one guy the Cowboys always knew they could count on. That’s kicker Brandon Aubrey, who has been the best kicker in the game for most of the season.
But not on Sunday, against the Vikings at home, a must-win game for the Cowboys’ slim playoff hopes. Aubrey entered the game having missed two field goals all season (27-for-29), but he missed twice in what wound up being a 34-26 loss that drops the Cowboys to 6-7-1 with three games left to play.
Brandon Aubrey Missed From 54 and 59 yards
Aubrey’s first miss came in the second quarter, and it was a 51-yard attempt that came with the Cowboys and Vikings tied at 14. He knocked the second one wide, too, early in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys were attempting to slow the Vikings’ momentum by regaining the lead–Minnesota led, 24-23 at the time.
It could be said that Aubrey should get a pass on missing kicks of that length, but both are very much in his range. He was 33-for-38 on kicks of 50 yards or more in his career entering the week.
Cowboys Playoff Chances are Less Than 1%
It was not entirely Aubrey’s fault that the Cowboys lost the game, of course. The defense again was subpar and has looked more like it did in the beginning of the year, before the trade to acquire Quinnen Williams was made. Dallas allowed 44 points a week ago to the Lions, and now gave up 34 to the Vikings–the second-most points the Vikings have scored in a game this season.
The Vikings defensive backs also did a good job keeping Dak Prescott from finding his perimeter receivers. CeeDee Lamb got going late in the game and tallied six catches and 111 yards, but Minnesota took George Pickens out, limiting him to three catches for 33 yards.
It doesn’t much matter whose fault the loss is–what matters is that it is in the books and the Cowboys’ slender playoff chances are just about extinct. According to The Athletic’s playoff tracker, the Cowboys have a less-than 1% chance of hitting the postseason.
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