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Whatever Jerry Jones told kicker Brett Maher before Sunday’s game against the 49ers, it didn’t work.
All eyes were on the Cowboys’ embattled kicker after Maher missed a record four extra-point attempts last week against the Buccaneers. Facing San Francisco in the divisional round, Dallas took a first-half lead on a touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Dalton Schultz. Head coach Mike McCarthy sent Maher to the field for the PAT, which led to an immediate disaster.
The kick was blocked but appeared to be well off target to the left of the goal post. The 49ers settled for a field goal on the next possession, with Robbie Gould making his second of the game from 26 yards out.
Maher’s miss likely played into McCarthy’s decision-making process on the Cowboys’ ensuing drive. Facing a fourth-and-4 from San Francisco’s 35-yard line, McCarthy left Maher on the sideline and opted to go for it, with Prescott scrambling to pick up the first down. Dallas ultimately came away with no points on the drive, though, after Prescott threw an interception.
Though McCarthy was noncommittal when asked by Fox sideline reporter at halftime whether he would eschew kicking for the rest of the game, he opted to trust Maher with a field goal in the third quarter. Maher was able to put his past struggles behind him and convert the kick from 25 yards out.
After the missed PAT, though, folks on Twitter had a lot of fun making jokes at Maher’s expense after his latest blunder. Check out some of the standouts below.
