ARLINGTON, Texas — We've seen it happen once in a preseason game, and once in a playoff game. But for the first time in a regular season NFL game, the video board at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium was hit by a punt.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers punter Jake Camarda sent a punt skyward in the third quarter that clanged off the bottom of the video board, sending it careening back to the turf at an awkward trajectory.
It is a special ground rule at AT&T Stadium that when a punt hits the video board, it necessitates a re-play of the down. So, Camarda went back to punt again.
This time, the Cowboys punt block team careened into Camarda, leading to a five-yard running into the kicker penalty. The Cowboys were fortunate it wasn't ruled the more severe 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty.
Eventually, Camarda punted for a third time, and it led to a touchback.
This is the third time it has happened. In fact, it happened the last time there was a game that mattered, here at AT&T Stadium.
Cowboys punter Bryan Anger hit the video board with a punt during January's playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. It also happened in a preseason game in 2009, when Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso hit the videoboard with his punt.
