Jerry Jones backs Greg Zuerlein after rough outing vs. Bucs

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Jerry Jones backs Greg Zuerlein after rough performance against Buccaneers

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 9/10/21

The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-29 in their season opener on Thursday night, thanks to a perfectly executed last-minute drive by Tom Brady.

Dak Prescott played great in his return from ankle surgery. Kicker Greg Zuerlein, on the other hand, wasn't on his game. The veteran missed two field goals and an extra point, essentially changing the outcome of the game.

During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan on Friday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones backed Zuerlein despite his struggles, reiterating that the 33-year-old underwent surgery and missed much of the preseason, so he's rusty.

Jerry Jones on @1053thefan: “I felt like we paid the price of not really having our kicker during training camp. … The loss isn’t to be blamed on the kicker.” Jones said he still believes Greg Zuerlein is the long-term answer for them at kicker
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 10, 2021

To Zuerlein's credit, he hit a 48-yard field goal with 1:33 left in the game to put Dallas up by a point. But there was too much time left on the clock for Brady, who marched down the field to set up Ryan Succop for the game-winning field goal.

Zuerlein was particularly hard on himself after the loss, saying, "If I do my job, we win that game."

The former Pro Bowler should bounce back next week against the Los Angeles Chargers. Last season, he made 82.9% of his field goals and 91.7% of his extra points. So, it's not time to panic yet.

Even if Zuerlein continues to struggle, Dallas could replace him. Dan Bailey, Zane Gonzalez and Stephen Gostkowski are among the kickers still available via free agency. The Cowboys could also poach a kicker off another team's practice squad.

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