The quiet nature of preseason NFL games often belies the rare moments of extraordinary achievement they occasionally produce. Recently, such a moment was witnessed when Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey unleashed a 66-yard field goal during the team's 27-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Though preseason stats don't make it into the NFL's official record books, Aubrey’s monumental kick has carved out a significant place in the realm of preseason lore.
Aubrey's achievement not only shattered Ola Kimrin's previous preseason record—a 65-yarder set in 2002 while with the Denver Broncos—but it also matched the NFL's overall record for the longest field goal, a 66-yard behemoth kicked by Justin Tucker in 2021. Tucker's kick, executed in a high-pressure situation, sealed a 19-17 win for the Baltimore Ravens over the Detroit Lions. The pressure may have been lower in Aubrey's case, but the feat's difficulty remains unimpeachable.
Setting a new benchmark for preseason performances, Aubrey's kick signifies more than just a fleeting moment of brilliance. It indicates a shift in how the Cowboys might perceive their kicking game going into the regular season. "Aubrey himself has confidently noted that he has successfully kicked from as far back as 70 yards in practice," providing a tantalizing glimpse into his capabilities.
The far-reaching implications of Aubrey’s successful 66-yarder are substantiated by NFL's Next Gen Stats, which suggested it would have been good from 72 yards. This analytical insight not only highlights Aubrey's raw power but also offers a statistical endorsement of his potential to influence games in ways that few kickers can. Dallas may have stumbled upon a kicker capable of game-changing moments, a rare commodity in professional football.
Ola Kimrin's 65-yard field goal had stood as the gold standard for preseason kicks for over two decades. When Kimrin, part of the Denver Broncos’ training camp at the time, launched his record-setting kick, few could have predicted that it would take 21 years for someone to surpass it. Kimrin went on to play just five career regular-season games with Washington in 2004, achieving a 60% success rate on field goals—a career marked more by brief flashes than sustained excellence.
Brandon Aubrey's emergence presents a fresh narrative, suggesting that longevity and consistency might be on the horizon. As the preseason winds down and the regular season approaches, Aubrey’s success serves as a hopeful harbinger for the Cowboys. With his remarkable leg strength and demonstrated capability to execute under game conditions, the Cowboys’ kicking game might finally transition from being a perennial question mark to a solid asset.
Historically, field goals of 60 yards or more were exceedingly rare. Until Kimrin's kick, only four field goals in NFL history had surpassed that distance. Between 2003 and 2023, the NFL saw a total of 29 successful field goals from 60 yards or more in regular season play, underscoring the rarity of such feats. Aubrey’s achievement, even in the context of a preseason game, joins an elite club whose membership includes some of the greatest kickers the game has seen.
Only Justin Tucker and Brandon Aubrey have managed to hit a field goal longer than Kimrin's 65-yarder, whether considering preseason or regular-season games. This exclusive company is perhaps a testament not only to Aubrey’s skill but to the changing dynamics of the game itself, where the margin for breaking new ground has become increasingly slim.
As the Cowboys eye the regular season with renewed optimism, Aubrey's performance provides a compelling subplot to their evolving campaign. Should he continue to deliver kicks of such formidable distance and accuracy, he could well become an indispensable player for the Cowboys, providing points and dramatic moments that swing the momentum of games.
While preseason games might often lack the drama and stakes of regular-season matchups, moments like Aubrey’s 66-yard field goal prove that they can still produce unforgettable, record-setting performances. In a league where the margins between victory and defeat are often measured in mere feet, having a kicker who can consistently deliver from such distances is a game-changer. The Dallas Cowboys, it seems, may have just found their man.