'We're going to need him'
Brett Maher had a historically bad night Monday at Raymond James Stadium, but Dak Prescott hasn’t lost an ounce of faith in the Cowboys kicker.
Maher became the first NFL kicker since 1932 to miss four extra points in a single game in Dallas’ wild-card road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To put the 10th-year pro’s terrible performance into more perspective, Maher only missed three of his 53 extra-point tries over the course of the 17-game regular season.
After the game, Maher revealed he received widespread support from Dallas teammates who tried to raise his spirits following his struggle-filled evening. This included encouraging words from Prescott, whose five touchdown passes helped the Cowboys advance to the divisional round.
“I told him after the game, ‘Hey, let that go,'” Prescott told reporters, per the team. “We’re going to need him. I played (awful) a week ago. That happens. … Knowing what that guy has done with resiliency throughout his career … no doubt he’ll come back next week, be perfect and help us win.”
Maher probably will need to be at his best this weekend if Dallas wants to earn a spot in the NFC Championship Game. Points for the Cowboys figure to be at a premium at Levi’s Stadium against a vaunted San Francisco 49ers defense.