It's been the postseason from hell for Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher, and to rub it in further Robbie Gould was doing trick shots before the game.
Maher set an unwanted NFL record last week as he missed four extra points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, becoming the first ever player to do so in a single game since the statistic was first tracked back in 1932. The Cowboys opted to stick with Maher for their clash against the San Francisco 49ers, but his misery continued.
The Cowboys kicker was shaky when warming up, and proceeded to miss another extra point against the San Francisco 49ers after Dalton Schultz scored a touchdown. Gould on the other hand was doing trick shots before the game, hitting the posts for fun as he warmed up.
Gould is one of the best kickers in the NFL, and has a perfect postseason record too. His accuracy is near perfect, and he was aiming for the posts and hitting them for fun before the game.
Meanwhile, Maher continued to drag his efforts wide when practising at Levi's Stadium, and even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walked out on the field to speak to him. The Cowboys were looking to avoid kicking on fourth down against the 49ers, and were working on a new strategy without Maher this week.
It's a sad end to what has been a good season for Maher, but it's all gone wrong in the postseason. Maher only missed three kicks in the regular season, but has fallen apart since then.
Gould has converted all 65 kicks in his postseason career, making all 28 field goal attempts and slotting home 37 extra points. It remains to be seen what will happen to Maher in the off-season, but there is some hope after he was backed by quarterback Dak Prescott.
Prescott took the heat off Maher at the end of their victory over the Buccaneers, claiming that everyone has bad games, as he admitted he played "s***" the week before. "Yeah I mean, I'm money Maher's biggest fan," Prescott said after the win against the Buccaneers on Wild Card Weekend.
"I talked to him individually after the game and just told him to let that go, we're gonna need it. I just played like s*** a week ago so that happens.
"Knowing what that guy's done, with his resiliency he's shown throughout his career, personally there's not doubt he will come back and be perfect."
But Prescott was wrong, and faith in Maher is dwindling fast. Kickers rarely get enough appreciation, but this crisis has highlighted how important they are to the team.
