Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey: It was just a frustrating day

Dan Bailey went into Sunday’s game against the New York Giants as the most accurate kicker in NFL history. He doesn’t have that title any more after his worst game.

Bailey made no excuses for missing two field goals and a point-after attempt in the Dallas Cowboys’ 30-10 victory over the New York Giants.

“It was just a frustrating day,” Bailey said.

Bailey refused to discuss his health. He missed four games earlier this season with a groin injury he sustained in Week 7 at San Francisco.

“I’m not even going to answer questions about my health. I’m playing,” Bailey said. “If I’m out on the field, I expect to make every kick.”

Bailey went 1-for-3 on field goal attempts, lowering his career percentage to 89.1. Baltimore’s Justin Tucker, meanwhile, has a career percentage of 89.9.

Bailey’s two misses were from 50-plus yards, just the third time in his career he’s missed multiple field goals in a game. He clanked a 53-yarder off the right upright early in the second quarter, and then was wide right on a 50-yard attempt in the quarter.

The bigger surprise, though, was a missed PAT in the fourth quarter. Bailey hadn’t missed in his career, going a perfect 273-for-273 until Sunday.

Bailey described the kick in just three words.

“I missed it,” he said.

Bailey entered the game a perfect 8-for-8 on field goal attempts, including a long of 56 yards, and knocked in a 21-yarder in the first quarter to give the Cowboys an early 3-0 lead. That first field goal attempt marked the 200th in his career, as he became the 100th player in NFL history and second in Cowboys’ history (Rafael Septien 226) to attempt that many in a career.

But the two long misses and failed PAT didn’t sit well with him afterward.

“Just a frustrating day,” Bailey said.

This story was originally published December 10, 2017 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey: It was just a frustrating day."