ARLINGTON, Texas – Funnily enough, Vince Mayle said the Dolphins' special teamer didn't want to block him.
"I went to go block him, but he kind of shied away from me, so I was like 'Well, I'm just gonna go block this punt,'" Mayle said.
Football isn't usually so clear-cut, but it worked out just that well for the second-year receiver. Rushing from the edge of the Cowboys' punt team formation, Mayle reached out and got a hand on Matt Darr's punt. The ball fluttered 10 yards where Austin Traylor caught it at the Miami 18-yard line.
It was Mayle's second time in punt coverage on Friday night, and it was a theme he'd noticed before.
"The first time I blocked the guy, he was real soft – so I was hoping I'd get a rush," he said.
Ironically, Mayle said the Cowboys' special teams coaches had been hounding him to rush under his blocker, rather than around. That's exactly what he did. Dak Prescott rushed for a touchdown six plays later, giving the Cowboys their final margin of 41-14.
-- David Helman
