ST. LOUIS – Dan Bailey doesn't miss.
The Cowboys kicker is perfect this season and made his 27th and 28th straight field goals Sunday against the Rams, the second of which set the team record for most consecutive field goals made.
"It's one of those things where it'll probably mean a little later in my career or when my career's over, because right now, especially with a game like today, all you can do is just be happy you won," Bailey said. "But yeah, obviously any time you can string some kicks together, some successful kicks together, it's always a positive. It's always a little bit of a confidence builder for you."
Bailey, who's 7-for-7 this year, tied Chris Boniol's team record with his 27th kick on a 29-yard attempt at the end of the first half. That kick was only possible because the Rams fumbled a snap at the Cowboys' 44-yard line.
Tony Romo then led the Cowboys on a drive into the Rams' red zone, saving enough time for a Bailey field goal. The reliable kicker drilled it with five seconds remaining in the half to bring the Cowboys, who trailed 21-0 to start the game, within 11 points.
Bailey's second kick, a 40-yard try in the third quarter, cut the Cowboys' deficit to just one point and set the record. As that kick proved, his perfect mark this season isn't a result of kicking chip shots. Five of Bailey's seven field goals this season [embedded_ad]
have been at least 40 yards out.
As great an accomplishment as it was, Bailey said the record wasn't going through his head as he set up to kick.
"Honestly, no," Bailey said. "There's just so many things going on – where we're at in the game, just all different kinds of things going through your head."
Executive vice president Stephen Jones said it's probably unfair to count on him making every single kick, and the Cowboys shouldn't have to do that. But he added that Bailey is "amazing."
"We pay him a lot of money to do that, and he steps up and does it," Jones said. "The man's got ice water in his veins. He's a hell of a kicker. And by the way, congrats to him, too. If anyone's going to do it, it doesn't surprise me that it's him."
