Washington Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins didn’t have an ideal day at the office against the Dallas Cowboys, converting on just two of his four field goal attempts.
His first field goal attempt was a bit hectic. The Redskins’ offense marched down the field on a 50-yard drive, placing the ball on the Cowboys’ own 26-yard line. But as the special teams unit took the field, coach Jay Gruden called a time out, essentially icing his own kicker with 4:29 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
It was an unfortunate mishap. During the previous play, offensive guard Brandon Scherff hurt his ankle. Scherff, who plays on the special team unit, was unable to take the field. Gruden said his staff was unaware that Scherff was unable to go on the unit with his injury, and offensive tackle Morgan Moses was sent onto the too field late. Gruden called a timeout to avoid the five-yard delay of game penalty.
“I took the timeout,” Gruden said. “I probably should have let the delay of game go off and save the timeout, but instead I took the timeout because I wanted to keep [the ball] right there.”
But as Hopkins lined up to kick the actual attempt, he got more than enough leg behind the ball to reach uprights on the 43-yard attempt. But Hopkins pushed the high enough that it reached over the left field goal post. It appeared that, if the post was a bit higher, Hopkins’ attempt may have had a chance of redirecting off the post, possibly bouncing between the uprights.
Gruden himself believes that the kick was good.
“I thought he made the kick,” Gruden said. “I watched it on my end zone copy here, and I thought it was good. But they called it no good.”
Washington ultimately lost the game to the NFC East’s top team, 31-26. Currently in third place in the division at 6-4-1, the Redskins will play the 4-5-1 Arizona Cardinals in Week 12. The Cardinals play the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.
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