IRVING, Texas --The Cowboys kept two kickers on the initial 53-man roster in part because they wanted David Buehler's strong kickoff leg on road trips, where outdoor elements might be a factor.
The conditions will be more favorable this Sunday at Cowboys Stadium, but less so the following week at Washington or Jan. 1, 2012, at the Giants.
Team owner/general manager Jerry Jones said Friday on KRLD-FM that he was very disappointed in Buehler's season-ending groin injury.
"He's a valuable asset, especially with the (35-yard line) rules as they are right now," Jones said. "We're going to be playing some key away games out in the weather. We'd like to have him kicking in them because he is a better kickoff guy than (Dan) Bailey, so I'm very frustrated. It's his job to stay ready to play and prepare himself so that those kinds of things, for what he's got to do, don't come up."
Buehler was in good spirits as he rehabbed during practice Friday. His absence means kicker Dan Bailey will handle kickoffs Sunday against Buffalo, and quite possibly for the remainder of the season.
Buehler had nine touchbacks on 18 kickoffs; Bailey has six on 24 kickoffs.
"There's always room for improvement I think. I've been working on it, trying to maybe kick it a little further, maybe a little deeper ball," Bailey said. "I think that's just something over time I'm going to have to keep focusing on.
"I know I can do it because I've hit some that are real good and I've hit some that are a little shorter and maybe not as great a hit. Now with the situation the way it is, I can kind of really put a lot more focus on that."
