The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in embarrassing fashion on Monday Night Football in Week 14. It appeared as though the Cowboys were in a prime position to steal a win away from the Bengals late in the fourth quarter.
Yet, a botched block punt brought back memories of Dallas’ former defensive tackle Leon Lett. Who is Lett, and what mistakes did he make for the Cowboys in the past that led to his name being associated with a Dallas blunder?
Who Is Leon Lett? Dallas’ Mistake Brings Back Memories of Former Cowboys DT
Lett was selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1991 NFL Draft. While the former Pro Bowl defensive tackle spent 10 seasons in Dallas, including helping the team win three Super Bowls, his success was overshadowed by two massive mistakes on the field.
Lett’s first error came in Super Bowl 27, but his Cowboys were leading the Bills by so much (52-17) that his mistake didn’t make a difference. However, that doesn’t make the defensive tackle’s botched fumble recovery any less hilarious.
After scooping a late fourth-quarter Buffalo fumble, Lett slowed and raised the football at the Bills’ 10-yard line. The two-time Pro Bowler later said he was watching himself on the Jumbotron and was trying to pull a “Michael Irvin.” Buffalo WR Don Beebe knocked the ball from Lett’s hands, resulting in a touchback and costing the Dallas DT a score.
The following season, Lett committed another error with more severe in-game consequences. The Cowboys looked to have sealed a Thanksgiving Day 1993 contest against the Dolphins after Dallas DL Jimmie Jones blocked what would have been a game-winning Miami field goal.
If Lett had allowed the ball to roll to a stop on the snow-covered field, the Cowboys would have automatically regained possession and walked away with a victory. Instead, Lett went for the ball, slipped, and hit it forward into the end zone, where the Dolphins recovered. Muffed-kick rules gave Miami the ball at the 1-yard line, and Pete Stoyanovich nailed a chip-shot FG for the win.
The Cowboys didn’t lose another game during the 1993 campaign, ultimately securing what would become their second Super Bowl in four years. Lett’s second error had minimal long-term effects, but he’s still the poster child for comedically memorable NFL plays.
While the Cowboys in 2024 won’t mimic the same success that Lett and Dallas had in 1993, both teams made mind-numbing mistakes on special teams. Similar to Lett’s play against the Dolphins, Cowboys backup cornerback Amani Oruwariye touched the football following a blocked punt.
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In his best impersonation of Lett, Oruwariye couldn’t haul in the loose football and ultimately allowed the opposition to regain possession. Just as the Dolphins did in 1993, the Bengals capitalized on Dallas’ special teams blunder.
Cincinnati marched down the field to score a game-winning touchdown on its newfound possession following Oruwariye’s costly mistake. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, it’s safe to say that Dallas won’t be making the same Super Bowl run in 2024 that they did following Lett’s mistake in 1993.