Mike McCarthy addresses Brett Maher’s status ahead of 49ers game

Oct 3, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy on the field before the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Mike McCarthy addressed Brett Maher’s status following the kicker’s disastrous performance in the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

Maher missed four extra points in his Cowboys’ victory in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Raymond James Stadium. He is the first kicker to ever miss four extra points in a game.

The Cowboys kept sticking with Maher and allowed him to attempt a fifth extra point after he missed the first four. Their patience paid off as Maher finally made an extra point to make it 31-6.

Would the Cowboys entertain making a change at the kicker position ahead of their Divisional Round playoff game next weekend against the 49ers? McCarthy is making it seem like that won’t be the case.

Doesn’t sound like the Cowboys will be looking for another kicker.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on Brett Maher missing 4 PATs tonight: “We need to get him back on it. Get him ready to go this week. We need him.”

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 17, 2023

“We need to get him back on it. Get him ready to go this week. We need him,” McCarthy said of Maher, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota.

Would a kicker pulled off the street be able to handle the pressure and big moments of the playoffs better than Maher? Will Maher be back to himself now that he’s gotten his jitters out of the way? Or is he broken after a game that bad?

Dallas would be taking a gamble by staying with Maher, but they would hope he’s back to his old self on Sunday. Dallas won’t be able to afford misses like that when they play San Francisco.