The performance of the Dallas Cowboys’ special teams units in Sunday night’s 23-6 preseason loss to the 49ers was enough to worry Jerry Jones a bit.
It was bad all over, the special teams.
The 49ers’ Jarryd Hayne, the Australian rugby player making the transition to the NFL, averaged 28 yards on three punt returns against the Cowboys on Sunday. The usually automatic Dan Bailey missed a 43-yard field goal. And backup punter Tom Hornsey had a punt blocked in the end zone for a 49ers’ touchdown in the third quarter.
“I am concerned about special teams because those guys have to take what we’re missing out there and they’ve got to meld together as a unit,” Jones said, per the Dallas Morning News. “It’s one of the real challenges that you have and at the same time put the 53 together that we want to.”
On the bright side, Lucky Whitehead, the rookie receiver/return man auditioning to replace Dwayne Harris on the roster this preseason, did not fumble a punt against the 49ers as he did against the Chargers.