IRVING, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys’ kicking competition got off on the wrong feet Tuesday afternoon.

Nick Folk, who has missed six of his last nine field goal attempts, remains the favorite by default. Rookie kickoff specialist David Buehler is trying to play the role of challenger.

Folk missed two of four field goal attempts during the portion of Tuesday’s practice the media was allowed to watch. All three of Buehler’s attempts sailed wide right.

Before practice, Folk acknowledged that it’s in the Cowboys’ best interests to have some internal competition. Buehler said he would begin to focus more on field goals.

“They have to do what they need to do,” Folk said. “I’m ready for it. I’ll take it like I did a couple of years ago.”

Folk was referring to the preseason battle he won over incumbent kicker Martin Gramatica before earning a trip to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. After two consistent, outstanding seasons, Folk has hit a funk. He is 17-of-26 this season, missing two more attempts than he did in his first two seasons combined. Folk is 4-of-11 from 40 to 49 yards after going 17-of-19 from that range in the first two seasons.

Buehler has focused primarily on kickoffs while working some at long-distance field goals. He hasn’t worked much on field goals shorter than 50 yards since training camp.

“I’ve got to get out there and fine-tune my form,” Buehler said. “When the opportunity arises, you’ve got to be ready.”

Buehler made 26 of 33 field goal attempts during his career at USC. He struggled from 40-49 yards, making only six of 11.

The Cowboys did not draft Buehler in the fifth round to challenge Folk. They thought they needed a kickoff specialist with great leg strength after Folk failed to have a touchback last season. Buehler has 21 touchbacks.

However, with Folk’s struggles, the time has come for some competition.

“Nick’s the field goal kicker as of now, obviously,” Buehler said. “It’s his job to lose, but I’m going to go out there and push him and compete. When the opportunity arises, you’ve got to be ready.”

Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis ruled out signing a free agent kicker and expressed confidence that Folk can revert to form.

“Give me an answer [about] who we can pick up that’s out there right now that’s not in the same situation that Nick’s in right now,” DeCamillis said. “Jason Elam, he’s missed however many and he got waived by Atlanta. If those guys are out there right now, they’ve had struggles. [Ex-Washington Redskin Shaun] Suisham missed two here. The same situation, everybody is dealing with it.

“You just have to keep plugging through it and try to work yourself through it as much as you can. Has it hurt us? Yes, it’s hurt us. We just got to keep working the process and try to get the guy better for what he can do. He’s been very successful in this league.”

Kicker David Buehler has a fracture
By Calvin Watkins, ESPNDallas.com

IRVING _ Kicker David Buehler has a fracture of the pinkie toe of his right foot. But the Cowboys kicker said he plans to kick in practice today.

“Just test it out and see who much I can do,” Buehler said before Thursday’s practice. “If I can do the whole practice effectively that’s what I plan on doing. If I can kick today, I can kick Sunday.”

In other injuries, free safety Ken Hamlin, out two-to-four weeks with a right high-ankle sprain will wear a walking boot for two weeks.

Right tackle Marc Colombo, out up to six weeks to recover from surgery on his left ankle and fractures to his left fibula, is wearing a walking boot as well. He does not need a cast.

Also, cornerback Mike Jenkins said he should play Sunday and that the swelling in his bruised left bicep is almost gone. The swelling stretched from the middle of his biceps to just past the elbow.

Cowboys go through the normal early practice stretching exercises, and now special teams, working on some deep kicks and some onside kick work too.

Waiting for David Buehler to kick one deep, 7-yards deep, what a leg.

Todd Archer, Dallas Morning News:

** Before practice rookie safety DeAngelo Smith spent time fielding punts. At one point he caught punts one handed while holding a ball in his other hand. It reminded me of Adam Jones juggling six footballs while catching punts in last year’s camp..

** With Montrae Holland missing practice for personal reasons, rookie Greg Isdaner worked with the second team at left guard.

** Miles Austin had a productive morning. His best catch – and Tony Romo’s best throw – came when Romo waited for the last second as the pocket collapsed and threw a fastball in a tight window.

** Romo had a similar type throw earlier to Martellus Bennett that eluded Orlando Scandrick and Bobby Carpenter. Overall Romo was 10 of 14 in the morning work out.

** In a four-play span center Andre Gurode injured his left ankle and left tackle Flozell Adams grabbed his right knee. Both players missed at least the next play. It will be interesting to see if Adams practices in the afternoon. He’s been given some two-a-days off in the past.

** Alonzo Coleman was flung to the ground by Mike Jenkins, leading Coleman to flip the ball angrily at Jenkins. Coleman had some words with Jenkins and Ken Hamlin and was upset after practice too.

** The morning practice focused on third down work.

** Roy Williams found the end zone on a Jon Kitna pass inside the red zone. Williams made the snatch between Jenkins and Mike Hamlin.

** Defensive end Derreck Robinson made his first play that I noticed, stopping Coleman behind the line of scrimmage.

** Felix Jones is fast. Real fast. With Bradie James waiting for him in the hole he took one step back to his right and accelerated through the line of scrimmage in a ‘Did he really do that?’ type of moment.

** Of the five kickoffs I saw David Buehler hit in the morning, all of them went at least 2 yards deep in the end zone. He hit one Tiger Woods-like low stinger but the rest had the desired height and depth.