Austin Seibert identifies real culprit behind painful blunder vs. Cowboys

Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert has experienced better days than the one he had on Sunday, following their tough 34-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12.

The Commanders found a glimmer of hope late in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown with under a minute left to cut the Cowboys' lead to one.

Austin Seibert botching kicks during the clutch for the Commanders

However, Austin Seibert missed the extra point after a poor snap and hurried hold. To make matters worse, Dallas recovered the onside kick and returned it for a touchdown, sealing a heartbreaking defeat for Washington at Northwest Stadium on Sunday.

When a reporter asked Seibert about the low snap, offering him an opportunity to share some of the blame, he quickly dismissed the notion, saying, “[The snap] didn't make a difference at all. It's on me.”

Washington tried an onside kick, but it bounced straight to Juanyeh Thomas, who found a gap in the Commanders’ line and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. The score effectively crushed any chance of a late comeback for Washington.

Seibert had a similar response when discussing the failed onside kick. “I should have hit it a little bit more left,” remarked Seibert. “Hit it right to the guy. That's what you get when that happens. So that falls on me too.”

The 28-year-old fresh off an injury, struggled throughout the game, missing another extra point and a field goal along with the crucial PAT.

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels linked up with wide receiver Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown pass with just 21 seconds remaining, giving Seibert a seemingly straightforward extra point attempt.

What's next for Seibert and the Commanders?

The Cowboys’ victory ended a five-game skid and surprised many analysts who had anticipated the Commanders, in pursuit of the NFC East lead, to secure their eighth win of the season.

The game had already been an unusual affair for both the Cowboys and Commanders, with the teams combining for just 19 points over the first three quarters.

The Commanders, now on a three-game losing streak, fell to 7-5 with the defeat and can't afford to gamble on Seibert regaining his confidence after missing two PATs against the Cowboys. 

Washington believed they had secured their kicker for 2024 when they signed Brandon McManus to a one-year, $3.6 million contract in March.

The plan to have McManus as their kicker quickly unraveled a few months later when he was accused of sexually assaulting two flight attendants during a team flight with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023. Though the lawsuit was dismissed and the NFL found no evidence of misconduct on McManus’ part, the Commanders released him shortly after the allegations surfaced.

The Commanders signed Seibert on September 10, and he entered the game against the Cowboys having made 25 of 27 field goal attempts and a perfect 10 of 10 on PATs.

The other kicking option available to them is Zane Gonzalez, who is 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on PATs for the Commanders over two games in 2024.

The Commanders are Seibert’s fifth team in six seasons, and his issues with PATs aren’t a new development—he converted only 30 of 35 PAT attempts as a rookie in 2019 with the Cleveland Browns.