Cowboys coach has 'never seen anything' like Brandon Aubrey

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb stole the show on Saturday night with 227 yards against the Detroit Lions. It was his fourth 150+ receiving yard game and his eight over 100. 

It's something Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy believes he's not the only player who is on a fantastic run, as he pointed out a rising player that he claims is something he's never seen before in the NFL: Kicker Brandon Aubrey.

"Along with CeeDee, you know his performance, I've never seen anything like it," McCarthy told reporters. "Just the consistency, you know, not only just on the field goals but the kickoffs."

If it feels like we have given Aubrey his flowers countless times by now it's because we have. But the reason behind it is that he's not giving us much choice to change the tune, is he? He just added a 51-yarder and a 43-yarder in the team's latest win. 

His historic start to his NFL career is still going as he has yet to miss a field goal 35 attempts into it. He's the only kicker with a 100% efficiency rate, per Pro Football Reference. 

As McCarthy points out, his consistency has been otherworldly. However, the power is also one of the most impressive aspects of Aubrey's run so far. It's not that he's just taking short attempts that is bumping his efficiency. He's 5th in the league in attempts over 50 yards. None of the four kickers that have made more 50+ yard attempts have been perfect in them as Aubrey has. 

This reminds me of a little something McCarthy said back in the preseason that didn't seem like much back then but now that we have a very different perspective about Aubrey, it seems significantly more relevant.

"The first time I stood behind him and felt the ball come off his foot, I definitely knew he was going to be okay (...) The talent, he reminds me of a young Mason Crosby. I feel good about him because he has an arsenal of kicks which is important." 

Being compared to somebody who's played for over a decade at one of the most volatile positions in the sport is big praise. By the way, Crosby still owns the record for most consecutive playoff field goals.

And the cherry on top? McCarthy understands while field goal streaks are what the average fan cares about, he pointed out one of his biggest strengths following the team's win over the Lions: Kickoffs.

"He looks like he's practicing his field goals on the kickoffs," the Cowboys head coach added. "I mean, it's just so impressive. So impressive."

As we enter Week 18, Aubrey has the highest touchback rate at 93.1% in the league among those with at least 5 kickoffs. That special teams advantage matters in a league where field position is a large part of the battle.

All that's left to prove for Aubrey is consistency beyond his rookie year but most importantly, in terms of the near-term future, does his blood is as cold in the playoffs as it was in the regular season? Only one way to find out. We're ready for January football.