The Cowboys are evidently set for another nervous week at the kicker spot, as it doesn’t look like Brett Maher’s case of the yips has subsided.
Maher missed his first kick of the Cowboys’ divisional-round matchup with the 49ers. The kick was a 33-yard extra point that came at the end of a 14-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that gave Dallas a 6-3 lead midway through the second quarter.
MORE: Did the yips cause Brett Maher’s uncharacteristic extra-point misses?
Maher’s kick came out low and was blocked by 49ers defensive lineman Samson Ebukam as a result.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, Brett Maher’s extra point is no good, although this time it was blocked. pic.twitter.com/RGpdBQglKc
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthewCFB) January 23, 2023
Even if Maher’s kick hadn’t been blocked, it almost certainly would have missed. It appeared that the veteran kicker had shanked the attempt, as it was rotating and set to head wide left by a good margin had Ebukam not gotten his hand on the ball.
As such, Maher’s miss is a bad sign for the Cowboys. He was already on shaky footing entering the game, as he made just 1 of 5 extra points during the Cowboys’ 31-14 win over the Buccaneers during the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend.
MORE: 49ers block Brett Maher from attempting pregame kicks
Maher missed his first four extra points in that contest before making his final kick of the evening. Those misses prompted the Cowboys to sign journeyman kicker Tristan Vizcaino to compete with Maher despite the incumbent earning a vote of confidence from Jerry Jones.
Ultimately, the Cowboys stuck with Maher, but they seem to be losing faith in him after his 1 for 6 start to the postseason. The team eschewed a potential 52-yard field goal attempt at the 2-minute warning to attempt a fourth-and-4 pass, during which Dak Prescott scrambled for a first down.
There’s that @Dak 🔥
📺: #DALvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/WBXF8YHjXz pic.twitter.com/513aphOpPC— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2023
Maher enjoyed a solid regular season, making 29 of 32 field goal attempts and 50 of 53 extra points attempts. His 90.6 field goal percentage was the best mark of his career, so perhaps he can get back on track.
MORE: How much money does Brett Maher make in 2023 salary?
But it will certainly be interesting to see whether Dallas opts to give him a chance to do that as his struggles continue.
