Cardinals coach Whisenhunt fakes out Cowboys kicker

If you’re an opposing kicker with a chance to win the game
in the final seconds you probably expect a timeout to be
called, to supposedly “ice you.”

That’s what took place Sunday, except it wasn’t the
opposing team calling the timeout.

Dallas Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey made a 49 yard field goal
to all but assure a Cowboys win, only to find out his team
called a timeout right before the kick. Bailey missed the
next attempt, then came overtime which ended on a 52-yard
touchdown catch and run by LaRod Stephens-Howling to seal
a 19-13 OT win for the Cards.

Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt actually thought about
calling a timeout before the kick, but remembered what
happened when the Cowboys came to Glendale in 2008.

“I was thinking about it,” Whisenhunt said. “If you
remember the last overtime game that we played them in 08
I iced the kicker and he missed and then he made it. When
the time was called and he made the kick there was no way
I was going to ice him after that point because I figured
the karma has got to turn around and he’s got to miss it.”

After the Cowboys called the timeout, Whisenhunt actually
gave the perception he was going to use his timeout.

“I was faking like I was going to call it,” Whisenhunt
said. “You go right to the official and say, ‘I’m not
going to call a timeout, but I’m going to fake like I’m
going to’ so he’s kind of looking at you and you’re
standing there like you’re going to call a timeout and
then you obviously don’t call it. It’s an art form.”

Whisenhunt’s fake timeout plan may have flustered Bailey,
but what probably had a more resounding effect on the
kicker to miss two field goals in the game was the
Cardinals ability to block them.

“I think those other teams have seen what we’ve done and
it’s no question they’re aware of that as well,”
Whisenhunt said. “On the extra point after they scored
their touchdown Patrick [Peterson] almost ran past the
ball; he was almost on the other side of it when the guy
kicked the extra point and when you see that when you know
that’s coming it’s got to affect you.”

Before the game Bailey was 27-28 in field goal attempts
this season and hadn’t missed since Week 2, that changed
Sunday against the Cardinals.

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