FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen said Thursday that he flips his headset from special teams to the offense early in every possession so he hears Dallas’ two-point plans as they are being made. Kickoff for the home opener against the Washington Commanders is Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX.
Kickoff and kick return give Sorensen time the other phases do not, a couple of minutes at a commercial break to change something. The two-point conversation moves faster than that.
“At the start of every drive, I try and get to the sideline. I get with my assistant, Carlos Polk. We start talking about what just happened, something that could come up. We look at the pictures,” Sorensen said. “But I try as quick as I can to flip over to offense. So I’m trying to hear the whole drive. And usually that’ll be communicated pretty early. Ryan Feder’s talking and different people are talking, but they always talk situations. So I need to hear that stuff.”
Traffic runs the other way too, Sorensen said, when the offensive staff wants a number from him before it commits.
“If they ask, have a quick question, they can just say, hey, Nick, let’s pop over to special teams. It’s usually with Ryan Feder. And if he wants to know a line, hey, we’re thinking this, and then we just pop right back to offense,” Sorensen explained. “So, yes, it is communicated.”
Polk is in his third stint coaching in Dallas. He was an assistant special teams coach here in 2019, spent 2022 through 2024 in Chicago in the same job, and came back on Brian Schottenheimer’s first staff in 2025. Feder has been in the building since 2020, when he was a quality control coach working with the linebackers. He moved to offense in 2023 and added game management to his title the following year.
Brandon Aubrey And The 48-Yard Extra Point
Dallas had a two-point attempt called Sunday night after Javonte Williams caught a 17-yard touchdown from Dak Prescott with 5:21 left. Williams drew a taunting flag on the play. Brandon Aubrey came on for a 48-yard extra point instead and missed it wide right in a 28-20 loss at the New York Giants. He finished 2-of-3 on extra points and did not attempt a field goal.
“He just missed it. He missed it. We’re moving on. It’s things that happened,” Sorensen said. “Obviously, the penalty we don’t want to have, but we know he can make 48, 58, 68. So he’s got to treat every kick the same.”
Schottenheimer said Monday the same sequence cost Dallas against the New York Jets last season, also with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushing the kick back.
“I think that’s probably just a coincidence. It just so happened that he missed a 48-yard extra point twice, both in New York,” Sorensen said. “I think it’s just one of those strange things that it’s like a crossword puzzle answer or something.”
What Dallas Rehearses And What It Does Not
Dallas does practice the version of sudden change that puts the kicking team on the field with the clock running.
“We do simulate some of the thunder stuff where you’ve got to line up. Let’s say it’s third down. We have no timeouts, third and 10, and they’re short, and now you’ve got to go run out there,” Sorensen said. “Let’s say there was 20 seconds left or 18 seconds left. You run out, you’ve got to get set and go kick it. So that’s always a part of the training for those guys.”
What Dallas has not built into the week is the reset that actually happened at MetLife Stadium, where the kick went from 33 yards to 48 between the touchdown and the snap. Washington lost its own two-point attempt to a celebration penalty in Week 1, when Stefon Diggs wrapped himself around the goal post at Philadelphia.
“We haven’t done that specifically, but we could, I guess. I mean, we’re always kind of keeping it swing the same, swing the same,” Sorensen said.
Dallas plays the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro in Week 3.
