Cowboys returner KaVonte Turpin has had issues over the past two weeks regarding punts.
The Dallas Cowboys were their own worst enemy in last week's 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions, and amid a sea of errors, there was something alarming that happened in the game that stood out.
No, not just George Pickens' half-effort. No, not just Jake Ferguson's "fumbleitis.''
Something else.
All-Pro returner KaVontae Turpin was flagged for signaling for a fair catch, only to then take off running after he caught the football.
You can't do that, KaVontae.
And what's worse, Turpin did the exact same thing the week before against the Kansas City Chiefs. And once again, it backed up the Cowboys' offense, forcing them to have to navigate a long field to get points.
As a result, some want him benched, because that sort of penalty, at the NFL level, is unacceptable.
But owner Jerry Jones just wants Turpin to stop it.
"Well, he's just got to quit that,” Jerry said on 105.3 The Fan. “If you hold that hand up at that critical juncture, they'll call that a fair catch, and if you try to run with the ball, they'll give you a penalty for it. That's pretty simple. He'd be the first to tell you he's just got to quit doing that."
So KaVontae is going through a rough time right now.
Might his starting job be in jeopardy? We doubt that, because the Cowboys, at this stage of the season, can't afford to bench star talent.
But they also can't afford silly mistakes like that, not when playoffs are on the line.
He's in his fourth year and he's been a return guy all his life, so this isn't Turpin's first rodeo when it comes to special teams. ... which makes the last two weeks rather odd, given he's never had as bad a misstep returning in his NFL career.
And that gives Jerry confidence that it is just a blip on the radar for Turpin.
"He's caught a lot of kicks," Jerry said. "He's caught a lot of punts that he doesn't have that problem with. You go with the odds here. How often has that happened in his career? A fraction of time. Not enough to even be a concern other than stop it. Concentrate on it and stop it.”
So, the message is pretty simple for Turpin.
Just stop it.