Cowboys kicker Brett Maher’s first extra point attempt is blocked against the 49ers, but he recovers.
On Sunday, Brett Maher’s first kick was blocked, and it might not have been good even if it hadn’t been.
Maher’s first extra point attempt against the San Francisco 49ers was blocked, garnering as much attention as any first-half extra point in recent memory. Fox analyst Greg Olsen noted that the kick, while a little low, appeared to be heading wide left anyway. Maher’s problems did not go away after his poor performance last week.
HOW BOUT DEM COWBOYS??? pic.twitter.com/m1p0GdL0iP
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthewCFB) January 23, 2023
In the third quarter, Maher was able to redeem himself. He tied the game with a 25-yard field goal. A 25-yard field goal should be automatic for an NFL kicker, but Maher’s recent issues made it appear difficult. In the fourth quarter, perhaps buoyed by the short field goal, the Cowboys sent Maher out for a 43-yarder, which he converted.
Maher struggled in his wild-card playoff game. He became the first player in regular season or playoff history to miss four extra-point attempts in a single game. The Cowboys did not replace Maher as their primary kicker and publicly supported him throughout the week.
Maher appeared shaky during pregame warmups, as the 49ers attempted to disrupt his rout, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also spoke to him on the field. That’s unusual, but Maher’s entire week has been unusual since his meltdown. Maher did not get a chance to kick in the first quarter, and the Cowboys went for it on fourth-and-one in the second quarter on fourth-and-one. The Cowboys scored later in the drive, and Maher converted the extra point.
With all eyes on him, Maher’s kick never reached the uprights.
The 49ers’ Samson Ebukam reached up and blocked it. Perhaps that saved some people from having to deal with it missing wide left.
The Cowboys had a choice late in the second quarter: go for it on fourth-and-four or try a 53-yard field goal. They might have tried the field goal in a low-scoring game before Maher’s playoff slump. The Cowboys went for it and got their first down. Dallas didn’t have to make another decision on Maher because Dak Prescott was intercepted later in the drive.
Another week, the Cowboys scored a touchdown but only received six points because the kicking game couldn’t convert the extra point. With two and a half quarters remaining, Dallas was in a bad situation.
