The return of Brett Maher has started well for the Cowboys. He has made every single kick he has lined up for, including the game-winner on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
I will be the first to say I thought bringing back a guy who seemed to never make a kick inside of 60 yards was a bold move and one that would end poorly. To this point, he has done his job. We all know he will miss at some point and maybe even a big kick that the Cowboys need in a game, but let’s try to relax when and if that happens.
What have you done for me lately is excellent for a guy like Maher; you must take the good with the bad. After two weeks, it has been nothing but good, so let’s continue riding that momentum.
The results Maher has given the Cowboys after two weeks are a huge bonus. I made a few posts about the kicking competition during the off-season, and I said Maher needed to cash in on this opportunity; he has done a great job so far; now, let’s keep it rolling.
DALLAS COWBOYS 50 YARD FIELD GOAL FOR THE WIN! @dallascowboys #CINvsDAL pic.twitter.com/NpMsccEt4s
— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2022
Maher missed at least one kick in 16 of the 29 games with the Cowboys in his first go-around with the team but made a franchise-record 62-yarder.
The accuracy for Maher went from 81% in 2018 to 67% in 2019; Dallas cut him and brought in Kai Forbath, who finished the season. Maher spent 2020 on a handful of teams’ practice squads and, in 2021, made 16-of-18 field goals as a member of the Saints. His accuracy jumped to nearly 90% after that.
Look, Lirim Hajrullahu and Jonathan Garibay would have already missed this season if one of the two were the Cowboys kickers. Let’s give Maher credit for the work he has put in that has helped him regain the confidence he found as a member of the Saints, which has carried over to this season.
I know it was nothing but negativity after the Cowboys brought him back, and I can’t help but think those people were probably jumping for joy after he delivered from 50-yards to beat Cincinnati 20-17.
Maher is not Justin Tucker; he will miss at some point, and fans will flip the script, I am sure, but he won the Cowboys a massive game on Sunday and will make some more big kicks in the future; let’s pump the breaks on all the slander everyone seemed to give him, this includes myself. I did not see this coming, but I am happy he came through in that clutch moment. The confidence seems to be back.
