ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brandon Aubrey is getting his kicks with the Dallas Cowboys.
He extended his NFL record to 15 consecutive made field goals of at least 50 yards without a miss at the start of a career while breaking a franchise record with a 65-yarder.
There is one big problem for the Cowboys. Aubrey isn’t getting enough opportunities for shorter kicks, those from 32-33 yards on extra points, especially when they aren’t getting into the end zone until being in catch-up mode.
Aubrey’s 65-yard kick in the first quarter of a 28-25 loss Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens was the second-longest in NFL history by a yard.
He added a 51-yarder right before halftime, but the Cowboys (1-2) were down 22 points before three touchdowns in the final 9 minutes — twice trying and failing on 2-point conversions before Aubrey got to kick a PAT.
“I just go out there and take what’s required of me,” Aubrey said. “Can’t choose the kicks you get, so you go out there and put them through.”
The second-year kicker is tied for the NFL lead this season by making all 10 of his field goal attempts, half of them at least 50 yards long. Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Chris Boswell is 10 of 11 this season, making all four of his kicks between 50-59 yards.
“You feel like they’re just automatic for him right now,” kick returner and receiver KaVontae Turpin said of Aubrey.
Dallas trailed only 7-0 when Aubrey made his 65-yard kick, just shy of the NFL record held by the kicker who was on the other sideline. Justin Tucker of the Ravens made a 66-yarder on the final play of a 19-17 victory at Detroit in 2021.
Both of those kicks kicks were indoors. The retractable roof was closed for Sunday’s game at AT&T Stadium, when Aubrey’s 65-yarder cleared the crossbar by a couple of yards, with room also to spare inside the right upright.
“Nothing different, just going out there,” Aubrey said. “That’s kind of in a range we’re getting comfortable with going out there and hitting it. ... I’ve seen it a few times and at this point, like I know I can do it. The coaching staff knows I can do it.”
The 29-year-old former Major League Soccer prospect and Notre Dame soccer player, who the Cowboys discovered in the USFL last year, made a 66-yarder at the end of the first half in the opener at Cleveland. That kick came after the whistle because of a delay of game penalty. Dallas coaches considered having Aubrey try from 71, but changed their minds when the Browns put a returner in the end zone.
Tucker, who has played all 198 of his NFL games for the Ravens over 13 seasons, missed a 46-yard attempt wide left in the fourth quarter.
Aubrey’s 15 field goals of at least 50 yards in only 20 games are already more than halfway to the Cowboys’ career record of 27 that Dan Bailey had from 2011-17. Aubrey has 192 points on 46 of 48 field goals with 54 PATs, including 35 points already this season.
“I just want to go out there and do my job and make sure they can rely on me,” he said. “You just want to be part of the team, a positive part of the team.”
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Dallas Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey (17) and the rest of the line watch Aubrey's 65-yard field goal go through the uprights in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Dallas Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey, left, and Bryan Anger, second from right, celebrate after Aubrey kicked a 65-yard field goal against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey (17) kicks a field goal in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey kicks a 65-yard field goal as punter Bryan Anger (5) holds in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox tied the post-1900 MLB record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets on Sunday when the San Diego Padres won 4-2 by rallying for three runs in the eighth inning, capped by Fernando Tatis Jr.'s towering home run.
The White Sox (36-120) had taken a 2-1 lead on home runs by Korey Lee and Miguel Vargas off Yu Darvish, but that lead quickly disappeared in the eighth.
This defeat came a day after the White Sox tied the American League record of 119 losses set by the 2003 Detroit Tigers.
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the major league record for losses at 20-134.
Interim manager Grady Sizemore didn’t address the team afterward.
“No loss is good,” he said. “It’s not something that we’re focused on. I think everyone outside this clubhouse is more obsessed with it than us. The way we spin is to put this one behind us and get ready for the series back home.”
With one more loss in their final six games, the White Sox will hold the modern-day record outright. They finish with three at home against the Los Angeles Angels beginning Tuesday night and finish with three at Detroit, which is in the AL wild-card hunt.
“I guess when you lose 120 it’s easier to brush it off, but it (stinks) to go through it, but that’s where we’re at,” veteran Andrew Benintendi said.
The Padres (90-66) clinched their first 90-win season since 2010, when they finished 90-72 but missed the postseason thanks to a brutal September collapse.
The Padres reduced their magic number to one for clinching their third postseason berth since 2020.
The Padres control their own destiny going into a three-game series at the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers starting Tuesday night, but would have to win out to clinch the division title. While the Dodgers have a three-game lead over the Padres, San Diego owns the tiebreaker. San Diego has a three-game lead over Arizona for the NL's top wild card. The Padres finish with three games at Arizona next weekend.
Some in the sellout crowd of 45,197 began chanting “Beat L.A.!” as the Padres players and staff saluted the fans after the final home regular-season game. San Diego set the franchise attendance record of 3,314,593 in 80 games.
“We're never out and that's probably since the first week that we played baseball this year,” Tatis said. “What we have been doing over here is really special. We have the talent to go all the way. But it's time to take care of business one day at a time.”
The Padres tied it at 2 when Donovan Solano and pinch-hitter Luis Arraez hit consecutive doubles opening the eighth against Fraser Ellard (2-3). Arraez advanced on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on Jurickson Profar’s sacrifice fly.
Tatis then drove a towering shot into the left field stands, his 20th homer of the season.
“It felt amazing. It felt like I showed it that way after I hit it,” said Tatis, who had an exuberant trot after the 389-foot blast, including stutter-stepping into third base.
White Sox rookie Sean Burke held the Padres to one run and two hits in six innings in just his third big league appearance and second start. He struck out eight and walked one.
“Burke threw a hell of a game,” Benintendi said. “They’ve got a lot of good bats up and down that lineup, guys that have played a long time and once they get the lead with that bullpen, it seems like its pretty much over at this point."
Lee, who grew up in northern San Diego County, hit a line shot homer to left with one out in the third, his 11th.
Profar tied it when he hit an opposite-field shot to left with one out in the bottom of the inning. It was his 24th, extending his career-best.
The White Sox jumped back ahead on Vargas’ homer to left-center with one out in the sixth, his fifth.
Darvish became the first Japanese-born player to reach 2,000 career strikeouts when he fanned Jacob Amaya in the third. With nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings on Sunday, he pushed his 12-season MLB total to (2003). He walked nine while allowing two runs and three hits.
Robert Suarez, who has struggled lately, pitched the ninth for his 34th save.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Jonathan Cannon (4-10, 4.61 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Angels, who will go with RHP Jack Kochanowicz (2-5, 4.56).
Padres: RHP Michael King (12-9, 3.04) is set to start Tuesday night’s opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Chicago White Sox' Lenyn Sosa walks back to the dugout after striking out against the San Diego Padres in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)
Chicago White Sox bench coach Doug Sisson, right, looks on from the dugout during a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)
San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill reacts after flying out to right field in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)
Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas cannot catch a pop fly hit by San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill in the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)
