After missing four extra points in the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-14 playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head coach Mike McCarthy said the team planned to stick with Brett Maher as its kicker.
That didn’t necessarily stop the Cowboys from adding insurance, as they signed kicker Tristan Vizcaino to the team’s practice squad on Wednesday.
McCarthy had some interesting comments on the addition Thursday.
“Player acquisition is a 365-day-a-year thing,” McCarthy said via NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano. According to Siliicnao, McCarthy said that the Cowboys are always looking to add depth to their football team, while also making sure to point out that Maher, like everyone else, needs to have a good week of practice.
“It doesn’t take away from our trust with Brett,” said McCarthy via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.
Both Maher and Vizcaino are scheduled to kick Thursday, according to Gehlken. The Cowboys will evaluate their options ahead of this weekend’s matchup against San Francisco. As for Vizcain, he spent time with both the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals this NFL season. In three games, he’s made all five of his kicks, including three extra points.
Depth purposes or not, the addition of Vizcaino signals that McCarthy wants to ensure that his kicking game isn’t the reason Dallas may get eliminated this weekend by the 49ers.
[Andrew Siciliano, Michael Gehlken]
