Cowboys placekicker Brett Maher botches a trio of first-half PATs

Cowboys placekicker Brett Maher botches FOUR extra points in a row to make history in Wildcard matchup with the Bucs… as ESPN’s Peyton Manning asks: ‘Can you cut a guy at halftime of a playoff game?’

  • Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher botched four extra points in Tampa
  • Prior to Monday, no placekicker had missed three PATs in a single playoff game
  • On the ESPN simulcast, Peyton Manning wondered if he could be cut at halftime 
  • Maher has missed five consecutive PATs dating back to the regular-season finale
  • Maher was applauded in the fourth quarter when he made his fifth attempt 
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Dallas Cowboys placekicker Brett Maher picked a bad time for a case of the yips on Monday night in Tampa.

Facing the Buccaneers in the final Wildcard Round playoff game, the 33-year-old botched an NFL record four point-after attempts over the first three quarters of play. Prior to Monday, no placekicker had ever missed three PATs in a single playoff game, let alone one half, as Maher did over the first two quarters on Monday. 

The good news for Dallas fans was that Maher would hit his fifth attempt in the fourth quarter to give the Cowboys a 31-6 lead, but that hardly means his job is safe going into the Divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers. 

After the third missed PAT, ESPN simulcast commentator Peyton Manning asked his audience: ‘Can you cut a guy at halftime of a playoff game?’

Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brett Maher picked bad time for a case of the yips on Monday night in Tampa. Facing the Buccaneers in the final Wildcard Round playoff game, the 33-year-old Nebraska product botched three extra points in the first half

Brett Maher of the Dallas Cowboys reacts after missing an extra point against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the third quarter in the Wildcard playoff game at Raymond James Stadium

Maher has now missed five consecutive PATs dating back to Dallas’ regular-season finale against Washington. 

On Monday, the Nebraska native missed his first kick, wide right, after Dallas’ first touchdown of the game with 3:32 left in the first quarter. He would miss wide right, again, in the second before misfiring to the left with three minutes before halftime. 

Maher returned for the second half and nearly connected, but the ball hit the right upright before ricocheting to the ground. 

The Cowboys would be permitted to try out placekickers before a Divisional playoff game next week.  

Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brett Maher (19) misses an extra point

FS1’s Skip Bayless, an avid Cowboys fan, tried to stay positive before Maher’s fourth miss on the day: ‘I predict Brett Maher will make this extra point’

Fans were relentless on Twitter following his third miss. 

‘Bret (sic) Maher probably has huge gambling debts,’ joked on Twitter user, reviving an old trope about inaccurate kickers. 

‘Is maher’s foot broken or what?’ asked another fan. 

Another fan took on a darker tone: ‘Brett Maher is the first kicker to miss 3 PATs and also be allowed to keep his leg.’

FS1’s Skip Bayless, an avid Cowboys fan, tried to stay positive before Maher’s fourth miss on the day: ‘I predict Brett Maher will make this extra point.’

Some pointed out the connection between Maher, former MLB second baseman Chuck Knoblauch and Steve Sax — both of whom had notorious cases of the ‘yips’

Some pointed out the connection between Maher, former MLB second baseman Chuck Knoblauch and Steve Sax — both of whom had notorious cases of the ‘yips’ which prevented them from accurately throwing to first base at various times in their respective careers. 

‘Poor Maher, he’s gone full Knoblauch,’ tweeted podcaster Kev Nivek. ‘He’s got the yips.’

A former Nebraska kicker, Maher bounced around from NFL practice squads to the CFL before finally catching on with the Cowboys in 2018. He also played for the New Orleans Saints in 2021. 

Despite his accuracy issues over the years, he does have a powerful leg. In fact, on November 20, Maher became the first kicker in NFL history with four made field goals of 60 yards or more for his career. 

Despite his accuracy issues over the years, Brett Maher (pictured) does have a powerful leg. In fact, on November 20, Maher became the first kicker in NFL history with four made field goals of 60 yards or more for his career

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