To say that the Dallas Cowboys kicking game was unstable the first 13 weeks of the 2019 season is an understatement. That's why they decided to move on from Brett Maher and sign journeyman Kicker Kai Forbath on December 9. It's a move that already looks as if it's paying off.
Kai Forbath's debut with the Dallas Cowboys didn't exactly get off on the right foot though. He booted two kickoffs out of bounds, the first of which to open the game giving the Los Angeles Rams excellent field position. That was luckily his only blemish on the day and he was able to redeem himself.
Forbath was a perfect 3-3 on his field goal attempts, hitting a 50 yarder in the third quarter and two from 42 yards out in the fourth quarter. He proved to be reliable, which is exactly what the Dallas Cowboys were hoping from the veteran kicker. He even managed to do something Brett Maher hadn't been able to do this season according to Michael Gehlken.
Kai Forbath has made more field goals in 40-49 range today in Cowboys debut than Brett Maher had all season. Forbath good twice from 42 with 50-yarder to boot.
Maher was 1-of-5 from 40-49 in 13 games.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 16, 2019
I knew Brett Maher had been bad this season, but I didn't fully realize just how bad until I read that tweet. Going 1-5 from 40-49 in 13 games this season is completely unacceptable for someone who claims to be a “professional” kicker. It's truly amazing, and disturbing, the Cowboys held on to him as long as they did. Fortunately though that experiment is over.
In Kai Forbath, the Dallas Cowboys now have a proven veteran kicker who looks to have already stabilized their kicking woes. There's no reason to believe he can't continue to do so considering he's made 85.8% of his kicks in his career, which is a good news for a team making a push for the playoffs.
The doom and gloom surrounding the Cowboys kicking situation seems to be over. Kai Forbath has emerged from the fog and given the organization, the coaching staff, and his teammates confidence he can come through when needed. Quarterback Dak Prescott even suggested as much.
“When you're not getting those touchdowns and you're getting down there and still able to capitalize on those three points [is great],” said Prescott. “Kai did a great job tonight, and I thank him for that.”
For a kicker, confidence is the name of the game. Even when their confidence in themselves is waning, to know your teammates are rallying behind you can go a long ways. Right now, it looks as if he has both and the Dallas Cowboys are a better team because of it. Let's just hope he can keep it up.
