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The lone bright spot for the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday’s game against the Jets is the guy whom fans just wanted to replace.
Cowboys kicker Brett Maher accounted for the team’s scoring in the first half of the Week 6 road contest, drilling 50- and 62-yard field goals — the latter of which came as the second quarter expired and tied a personal record for the second-year pro.
As you can see, there was room to spare on the kick. It was a rare positive for a struggling and injury-wracked Dallas squad that finds itself in a 21-6 hole.
“How far was that? Oh my goodness. That’s not in Denver, either, Jim. Huge drive,” CBS commentator and former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo remarked.
As the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken notes, Maher joins Sebastian Janikowski and Greg Zuerlein as the three kickers in NFL history to drill two FGs of 60-plus yards.
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Maher Vowed to Get It Right
Kicking is as much a psychological exercise as it is a physical one. A few off-target boots and suddenly confidence is shot — in some cases, permanently (see: Aguayo, Roberto).
Maher owned his contribution to the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss against Green Bay, in which he missed twice (from 54 and 33 yards); that was a good first step. The second step involved an onset of amnesia, forgetting about that game and anticipating a rebound in New Jersey.
“Just try to stay in my zone, focus on my process,” Maher said. “I believe in what I’m doing.”
Cowboys Stuck by Him
Believe it or not, competent kickers don’t grow on trees, and Maher has been adequate in filling the shoes of former Pro Bowler Dan Bailey. It’s for that reason both Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett refused to handle the problem out-of-house after Maher’s meltdown.
“We’ll address it. We’ll see what went on in the game,” Garrett said, per ESPN. “Obviously they were two big kicks that were needed and he didn’t make them. But he’s made a lot of kicks for us in the past.”
“We just got to make sure we buckle in and make sure he makes those kicks…We have confidence in him,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Monday, per The Athletic. “He’s done it in the past and he’s going to do it for us again in the future.”
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