Cowboys cheerleader drilled in head by kickoff mishap in final game of season
2025-01-06
Category: sports

The Dallas Cowboys-Washington Commanders Week 18 matchup was a thriller to the end, but not every play had the best execution.&nbsp; Just ask the Cowboys cheerleaders.&nbsp; Brandon Aubrey, Dallas’ trusty placekicker, was setting up for a kickoff, which is about routine as it comes for his position in the league.&nbsp; CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM  But Aubrey’s attempt to kick the ball downfield went awry, as it was kicked immediately out of bounds to the left, and one Cowboys cheerleader was the unfortunate recipient of it.  After an NFL cameraman couldn’t catch the ball with one hand, it smacked a cheerleader in the back of the head, sending her to the ground in the surprise incident.&nbsp; Social media users suspect that Michelle Siemienowski, a first-year cheerleader with Dallas, was the one hit by the ball.&nbsp; COMMANDERS' JEREMY REAVES PROPOSES TO LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND AFTER WIN: 'THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND' Luckily, she got back to her feet and appeared to be laughing about the situation after it happened.&nbsp; The rest of her cheer team made sure to check on her, as did Commanders punter Tress Way, who was in the area.&nbsp; Siemienowski made the cheer team in July, writing on Instagram that it was "my dream for as long as I can remember" to be a part of the famous squad.&nbsp; "This has been the most life changing experience, but this is only the beginning. I am so grateful to say that I achieved my dreams and earned my boots!"  Once the game resumed after the incident, the Cowboys found themselves looking to finish the season on a high note, but the Commanders had something else in mind.&nbsp; Marcus Mariota, who took over for Jayden Daniels at quarterback given the team’s playoff berth, knew that potential seeding was on the line when he got the ball with just over three minutes to play in the fourth quarter.&nbsp; Washington, down by three points, didn’t just think about a game-tying field goal as Mariota found himself with 2nd-and-goal from the Dallas 5-yard line, and he tossed a fade to Terry McLaurin on the outside.&nbsp; McLaurin leaped in the air and snagged the ball, keeping both feet in bounds to win the game on the final play from scrimmage.&nbsp;  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP As a result, the Commanders finished the season 12-5, though the Philadelphia Eagles won the division with a 14-3 record. But the win earned them the No. 6 seed instead of the No. 7 seed, which would have to travel to Philadelphia to face those Eagles in the wild-card round. Meanwhile, Dallas finishes the season 7-10. Follow Fox News Digital’s&nbsp;sports coverage on X, and subscribe to&nbsp;the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.