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Already one of Cowboys' best players, Dan Bailey quietly becoming one of NFL's top kickers
RAINER SABIN
Staff Writer
rsabin@dallasnews.com
Published: 16 September 2014 09:00 PM
IRVING — At a Cowboys luncheon last month, the team’s radio announcer, Brad Sham, introduced Dan Bailey, calling him the best kicker in the NFL. It was a bold pronouncement but hardly an outrageous one. It may not have even been exaggerated despite the absence of a Pro Bowl invitation on Bailey’s otherwise distinguished résumé.
The fourth-year NFL veteran is great at his job, as he proved again last Sunday in the Cowboys’ 26-10 victory over Tennessee. Bailey contributed 14 points and made all four field goal attempts — connecting on tries of 48, 44, 51 and 48 yards.
After the game, nobody made much of Bailey’s perfect performance or his unblemished record this season. It got lost in all the palaver about the Cowboys’ successful rushing attack and the defense’s surprising stand against Tennessee’s sputtering offense. But Bailey made a difference, giving the Cowboys some production after they couldn’t reach the end zone on four drives into Titans territory.
“You certainly don’t want to stall out on offense,” center Travis Frederick said. “But it’s nice to know he’s there. He’s a tremendous kicker.”
The stats show just how good Bailey is. Since entering the league in 2011, he has made 91.3 percent of his 103 field goal attempts. Only All-Pro Justin Tucker has been as accurate, and the Baltimore Ravens kicker has played one fewer season than Bailey. But what makes Bailey so great isn’t just his proficiency; it’s his desire to be even better at all he does.
“I don’t want to just repeat it. I want to improve,” he said. “I’m always looking to work on things.”
When Bailey entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011, his only perceived weakness was his leg power. The Cowboys initially kept 2009 draft pick David Buehler to handle kickoffs during Bailey’s rookie campaign. But over time Bailey made the erratic Buehler expendable, becoming stronger to the point that he began booming kickoffs into the end zone and making long field goals with ease. Last season, for instance, he finished 10th in the NFL in touchback percentage — just ahead of the mighty Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland’s old standby. Bailey also converted six of seven field goal tries from 50 yards or farther.
“He just has a poise and a focus about him that I haven’t seen from many guys at his position,” head coach Jason Garrett said earlier this summer.
The Cowboys’ confidence in Bailey is indisputable, and they showed their faith last January when they signed him to a seven-year deal worth $22.5 million. The level of commitment and the extent of the investment the organization made in a kicker caused some outsiders to scoff. But Bailey, who has made 26 consecutive field goal attempts —one shy of Chris Boniol’s team record from 1996 — has proved to be a valuable asset in today’s NFL, where parity is so prevalent and the margin for error is razor thin.
Since 2012, 22 of the 32 games the Cowboys have played have been decided by seven points or fewer. On multiple occasions, Bailey has been called on to seal a victory in the final seconds.
“It seems like we’re always in that situation,” Bailey said. “I don’t think that’s a good or a bad thing. That’s just the reality of what’s going on.”
The late-game pressure that can consume kickers has yet to faze Bailey, who repeatedly tells himself it’s never good to get too high or too low based on his most recent outcome. Throughout his career, Bailey has maintained that steady mind-set and been remarkably reliable, producing eight game-winning field goals —a total that stands as a franchise record.
Bailey’s ability to deliver when the stakes are high is one of the reasons why, at 26, he’s among the team’s five captains. Regarded as one of the Cowboys’ best players, he presents a convincing case he’s also the NFL’s top kicker.
“It’s just impressive to watch him,” Frederick said.
The numbers tell the story
Dan Bailey has been one of the top kickers since entering the league in 2011. Here’s where he stands among the NFL’s best the last four seasons:
Kicker; Team; Seasons played; FGM; FGA; Pct.
Dan Bailey; Cowboys; 4; 94; 103; 91.3
Justin Tucker; Baltimore; 3; 73; 80; 91.3
Matt Bryant; Atlanta; 4; 88; 98; 89.8
Steven Hauschka; Seattle; 4; 84; 94; 89.4
Josh Scobee; Jacksonville; 4; 73; 82; 89.0
RAINER SABIN
Staff Writer
rsabin@dallasnews.com
Published: 16 September 2014 09:00 PM
IRVING — At a Cowboys luncheon last month, the team’s radio announcer, Brad Sham, introduced Dan Bailey, calling him the best kicker in the NFL. It was a bold pronouncement but hardly an outrageous one. It may not have even been exaggerated despite the absence of a Pro Bowl invitation on Bailey’s otherwise distinguished résumé.
The fourth-year NFL veteran is great at his job, as he proved again last Sunday in the Cowboys’ 26-10 victory over Tennessee. Bailey contributed 14 points and made all four field goal attempts — connecting on tries of 48, 44, 51 and 48 yards.
After the game, nobody made much of Bailey’s perfect performance or his unblemished record this season. It got lost in all the palaver about the Cowboys’ successful rushing attack and the defense’s surprising stand against Tennessee’s sputtering offense. But Bailey made a difference, giving the Cowboys some production after they couldn’t reach the end zone on four drives into Titans territory.
“You certainly don’t want to stall out on offense,” center Travis Frederick said. “But it’s nice to know he’s there. He’s a tremendous kicker.”
The stats show just how good Bailey is. Since entering the league in 2011, he has made 91.3 percent of his 103 field goal attempts. Only All-Pro Justin Tucker has been as accurate, and the Baltimore Ravens kicker has played one fewer season than Bailey. But what makes Bailey so great isn’t just his proficiency; it’s his desire to be even better at all he does.
“I don’t want to just repeat it. I want to improve,” he said. “I’m always looking to work on things.”
When Bailey entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011, his only perceived weakness was his leg power. The Cowboys initially kept 2009 draft pick David Buehler to handle kickoffs during Bailey’s rookie campaign. But over time Bailey made the erratic Buehler expendable, becoming stronger to the point that he began booming kickoffs into the end zone and making long field goals with ease. Last season, for instance, he finished 10th in the NFL in touchback percentage — just ahead of the mighty Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland’s old standby. Bailey also converted six of seven field goal tries from 50 yards or farther.
“He just has a poise and a focus about him that I haven’t seen from many guys at his position,” head coach Jason Garrett said earlier this summer.
The Cowboys’ confidence in Bailey is indisputable, and they showed their faith last January when they signed him to a seven-year deal worth $22.5 million. The level of commitment and the extent of the investment the organization made in a kicker caused some outsiders to scoff. But Bailey, who has made 26 consecutive field goal attempts —one shy of Chris Boniol’s team record from 1996 — has proved to be a valuable asset in today’s NFL, where parity is so prevalent and the margin for error is razor thin.
Since 2012, 22 of the 32 games the Cowboys have played have been decided by seven points or fewer. On multiple occasions, Bailey has been called on to seal a victory in the final seconds.
“It seems like we’re always in that situation,” Bailey said. “I don’t think that’s a good or a bad thing. That’s just the reality of what’s going on.”
The late-game pressure that can consume kickers has yet to faze Bailey, who repeatedly tells himself it’s never good to get too high or too low based on his most recent outcome. Throughout his career, Bailey has maintained that steady mind-set and been remarkably reliable, producing eight game-winning field goals —a total that stands as a franchise record.
Bailey’s ability to deliver when the stakes are high is one of the reasons why, at 26, he’s among the team’s five captains. Regarded as one of the Cowboys’ best players, he presents a convincing case he’s also the NFL’s top kicker.
“It’s just impressive to watch him,” Frederick said.
The numbers tell the story
Dan Bailey has been one of the top kickers since entering the league in 2011. Here’s where he stands among the NFL’s best the last four seasons:
Kicker; Team; Seasons played; FGM; FGA; Pct.
Dan Bailey; Cowboys; 4; 94; 103; 91.3
Justin Tucker; Baltimore; 3; 73; 80; 91.3
Matt Bryant; Atlanta; 4; 88; 98; 89.8
Steven Hauschka; Seattle; 4; 84; 94; 89.4
Josh Scobee; Jacksonville; 4; 73; 82; 89.0
