Cowboys improved place kicking in 2020 with additions of Zuerlein, Fassel

The Dallas Cowboys entered 2020 with a goal to improve their special teams unit, and they succeeded. The Cowboys special teams unit was arguably the worst in the entire league in 2019-20, and Mike McCarthy knew that that would have to improve for his new team to compete in his inaugural season.

The organization brought in special teams coordinator John Fassel, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, as well as a few key contributors on the field, put a greater coaching emphasis on the third phase of the game, and the results were noticeable as Dallas’ special teams improved more than any other team in the NFL.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at one area of the special teams where Dallas made measurable upgrades, place kicking.

From Maher to Zuerlein

(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

When Fassel arrived in Dallas as the new special teams coach, one of his first actions was bringing in free agent kicker Greg Zuerlein, who had been with Fassel with the Rams since 2012. Why did the Cowboys target Zuerlein though? Through the first 13 games of the 2019-20 NFL season Brett Maher was the Cowboys placekicker, and he was arguably the worst kicker in the league through that span. In those games, Maher made just 20 out of 30 field goals, meaning he made just 66.7% of his attempts, which was last in the league among kickers who played at least 10 games. In fact, no kicker in the NFL had attempted at least 20 field goals and had a percentage that low since the 2015-16 season. Maher did manage to make an NFL single-season record two kicks over 60 yards that season, but was abysmal from the ranges where teams most rely on their kickers, as he went just 1-for-5 on kicks from 40-49 yards. Maher was released due to his inaccuracy, and the club signed Kai Forbath for the last three games of the season. Forbath was an immediate improvement, going 10-for-10 in the last three outings, but the damage had already been done by Maher. Together, Maher and Forbath combined to make 30 of 40 attempts, a conversion rate that was the seventh-worst in the league. These struggles led Dallas to signing Zuerlein to a three-year deal worth over $7 million before the 2020 season. The former All-Pro would bring an immediate consistency to the Dallas kicking game, something the club obviously lacked with Maher. Zuerlein finished the year making 34 of 41 field goal attempts, good for 82.9%, which is about league average (17th overall). Zuerlein was solid in nearly every game this past season, except for one. Nearly half of his season misses occurred against Baltimore in Week 13, where he went 1 for 4, with two misses from over 50 yards. In the mid-range of 40-49 yards, where Maher had particularly struggled, Zuerlein was able to make 12 of 13 attempts. The former Ram stepped up when it mattered most, making seven of his eight 4th quarter attempts, including two walk-off game winners against the Falcons and the Giants. Zuerlein was also partly-responsible for an onside kick recovery that swung the tides late in that Atlanta matchup, when he delivered a perfect "watermelon" kick, that seemingly mesmerized the Falcons, and allowed C.J. Goodwin to swoop in and steal possession. https://twitter.com/KevinGraySports/status/1307782387192000512 While the total field goal numbers weren't ridiculously improved upon, Zuerlein provided consistency, and confidence in the place kicking game that the Cowboys lacked the year before, especially during Maher's disappointing stint. The Cowboys can go into the 2020-21 season without having to worry about their kicking game.

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