The alleged Cowboys quarterback controversy, which is being fueled from thousands of miles away, has provided cover for Mike Vanderjagt. After pocketing a $2.5 million check from Jerry Jones, Vanderjagt has been, to this point, a colossal disappointment.
If you believe Bill Parcells, the most accurate kicker in the league is now 100 percent recovered from his groin injury. You may recall Vanderjagt asserting that he knew his groin better than Parcells did, which came as a relief to most of us.
The following Thursday, he shanked a couple of short field goal attempts against the Vikings and we haven't heard from him since.
The Cowboys, a team that lost three games last season by three points or less, elected to roll out second-year man Shaun Suisham, who at least drew iron in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Jaguars.
How important are kickers in this league? Well, my calculations (and NFL.com's) indicate there were 53 field goals made and 67 attempted in the first week. That's up from 43-of-55 in last season's Week 1.
I realize that one week does not make a trend, but those numbers can't be comforting for the Cowboys, a club that was forced to reverse its long-standing policy against paying kickers after last season's debacle.
Like many of you, I've read where Vanderjagt is supposedly unhappy in Dallas.
I'll admit that our Canadian dining options are somewhat limited once you throw out Domino's, and our club scene doesn't really cater to place-kickers.
So Mike, let me suggest returning to a quaint little football league north of the border. The money's not as good, but the winters are harsh.
I hate to be an alarmist, but if Vanderjagt doesn't get his head – and his kicks – straight, he could short-circuit any chance the Cowboys have of making a playoff run. All the talk of T.O. and the vaunted two-tight end offense is worthless if your kicker has the yips.
And just so you know, the I-told-you-so's are starting to fly around Valley Ranch. Some members of this club spoke against Vanderjagt in the days leading up to the free-agency period, but by then, Jerry had already committed to bringing in a headliner, and Vanderjagt was the last one standing.
Oh, and here's a quick update on how some of the other free-agent kickers from Vanderjagt's class are doing: Adam Vinatieri overcame a foot injury to go 4-for-4 in the Colts' victory over the Giants. Ryan Longwell's 31-yarder was the game-winner for the Vikings against the Redskins and Josh Brown, a restricted free agent, nailed a 42-yarder to lift the Seahawks past the Lions.
Brown was later spotted at the Metropolitan Grill, smoking the longest cigar this side of Red Auerbach. Meanwhile, Vanderjagt cooled his heels at home.
It's too early to call this signing a failure, but we seem to be getting closer all the time.
E-mail mmosley@dallasnews.com
