Tag: Brett Maher

Oct 22, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams place kicker Brett Maher (8) reacts after a missed field goal in the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Rams release K Brett Maher

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Rams released Brett Maher on Tuesday, two days after the kicker missed two field goals and an extra-point attempt in a 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Rams do not have another kicker on their roster.

Maher, 33, is 17-for-23 on field goal attempts this season, with four of the six misfires coming from over 50 yards. His missed field goal tries against the Steelers were from 51 and 53 yards.

Maher connected on 29 of 32 field goal attempts for the Dallas Cowboys last season, but it was the four missed extra points in the wild-card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that sealed his fate in Dallas.

He has made 111 of 139 field goal attempts and 140 of 147 extra-point tries in his career with the New Orleans Saints, Cowboys and Rams.

–Field Level Media

Aug 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos punter Riley Dixon (19) holds the ball for place kicker Brett Maher (16) during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Rams signing K Brett Maher

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Rams are finalizing a deal with Brett Maher after not keeping a kicker on their first 53-man roster, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.

The Broncos signed Maher in July but cut him Tuesday after acquiring Wil Lutz from New Orleans.

Maher, 33, made 29 of 32 (90.6 percent) field-goal attempts for the Cowboys last season, but it was the four missed extra points in the wild-card win over Tampa Bay that sealed his fate in Dallas.

The Rams cut rookie K Tanner Brown on Tuesday, cutting down to 53 without a kicker on the roster.

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Denver Broncos helmet before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Broncos waive K Elliott Fry

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Denver Broncos waived kicker Elliott Fry on Tuesday with an injury designation.

Denver’s 9NEWS reported Fry has a minor lower-body injury, but the team needed the roster spot for newly signed rookie long snapper Jack Landherr.

The Broncos signed Fry, 28, in May after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. He has appeared in five career games with three teams and converted 5-of-6 field goal attempts and 5-of-7 extra points.

Veteran Brett Maher is the only kicker on the roster now. The 33-year-old is in his first season in Denver following the 2022 campaign in Dallas, where he was 29-of-32 on field goal tries and hit 50-of-53 extra points.

Maher missed two field goal tries in an 18-17 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

Landherr is an undrafted free agent from UCLA.

–Field Level Media

Dec 29, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brett Maher (19) kicks a field goal during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Broncos sign K Brett Maher

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Denver Broncos signed former Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher on Tuesday.

Financial terms of the deal were not released.

Maher, 33, made 29 of 32 (90.6 percent) field-goal attempts for the Cowboys last season. He played in all 17 games.

In 54 career games, Maher has converted 81 percent (94 of 116) of his field-goal tries and 95.5 percent (128 of 134) of his extra-point attempts across four NFL seasons with Dallas (2018-19, 2022) and the New Orleans Saints (2021).

Denver also signed wide receiver Nick Williams, a rookie who had 28 receptions for 435 yards and two touchdowns at UNLV in 2022.

Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was waived in a corresponding move.

–Field Level Media

Aug 19, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots place kicker Tristan Vizcaino (2) kicks a field goal during the second half of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Cowboys re-sign K Tristan Vizcaino

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Dallas Cowboys re-signed Tristan Vizcaino on Wednesday, addressing the vacancy they’ll have with the departure of Brett Maher, KPRC2 reported.

Maher will become an unrestricted free agent next month.

The Cowboys signed Vizcaino as insurance after Maher got a case of the yips in the team’s wild-card victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month. Maher missed a postseason record four PATs against the Bucs.

Maher had another PAT blocked the following week in the Cowboys’ 19-12 loss to San Francisco in the NFC divisional playoff game. He made two field goals, the only scores for Dallas.

Vizcaino, 26, played in three games last season – two for New England and one for Arizona. He made two field goals and three extra points in Week 10 for Arizona, while merely used for kickoffs by the Patriots.

For his career, Vizcaino has made 75 percent of his PATs and 11 of 12 field-goal attempts, including a long of 47.

–Field Level Media

Jan 16, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brett Maher (19) kicks a point after touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half during the wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Jerry Jones: Brett Maher’s issues has Cowboys considering 2 kickers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cowboys kicker Brett Maher might have competition, or friendly company, when Dallas visits the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in the NFC Divisional playoffs.

Maher made NFL history in the NFC Wild Card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night with four missed extra-point attempts. Maher finally connected on a PAT in the fourth quarter.

“I’m Money Maher’s biggest fan,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. “I talked to him individually. ‘I just said, let that go. We’re going to need you. I just played like —- a week ago.’ So, I mean, that happens. … Personally, no doubt that he’ll come back next week and be perfect and help us win.”

Maher, 33, made 50 of his 53 PATs in the regular season and 29 of 32 field-goal attempts.

His previous playoff experience came in 2018 with the Cowboys. In two games, he was 5-for-5 on PATs and 1 of 2 on field-goal attempts.

But Jones said Tuesday he won’t rely on a strong history with Maher and fears going into an elimination game with doubts at the position.

“This is a classic case of looking at what he has done for this team on the field all year, not just last night,” Jones said Tuesday on 105.3FM in Dallas. “But kicking is a technical thing. It has everything to do with, frankly, mentally having it all together as you step up there.

“We’ll read this thing as the week goes along. I thought when he came out at halftime, watched him warm up and he’s making all of the kicks. I figured that was behind him. But we will take a look at it. We can’t … go into the rest of this tournament with shakiness at kicker.”

Jones said he will consider carrying two kickers on the game-day roster at San Francisco.

“We did it last year, we had one that was good on shorter kicks and good on extra points,” Jones said, adding that he expects coach Mike McCarthy to be more willing to go for two points. “It’s an imposition to have to use up that extra roster spot, but it’s doable.”

Maher’s misses in the Cowboys’ 31-14 win were significant in betting results, with a 45.5 point total at most books. The “over” hit on each of the other five playoff games during wild card weekend.

Hall of Fame kicker Morten Anderson chimed in on Twitter, asking, “Are the Cowboys hiring?”

Andersen, 62, played in 2,544 career games for five different teams from 1982-2007 and made 849 of 859 career extra-point tries.

–Field Level Media

Jan 16, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brett Maher (19) kicks the ball to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first half during the wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys K Brett Maher’s 4 straight missed PATs make history

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Not everyone on the Dallas sideline was enjoying the Cowboys’ dominant start to the playoffs Monday night.

After the Cowboys and the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded punts in each of the first four drives to start their NFC wild-card game, the Cowboys scored touchdowns on each of their next four possessions.

But each drive ended the same way — a missed extra point by Brett Maher.

That futility put the Cowboys kicker into the record books, on a page he doesn’t want. Maher is the first player to miss four extra points in a single playoff game, according to the NFL. He also is the first player to miss four extra points in a game (regular season or postseason) since at least 1932.

Maher’s first two misses were to the right and his third and final one of the first half was pulled to the left. His fourth attempt, with 10:04 left in the third quarter, tipped the top of the right upright before going wide.

What’s more, he missed his final PAT attempt of the regular season, giving him five straight missed extra points.

Maher finally made an extra point with 10:13 left in the fourth quarter.

Four other kickers have missed two in a postseason game, including Tyler Bass of the Buffalo Bills in last season’s playoffs. Bass missed two against the New England Patriots on Jan. 15, 2022.

The others to miss two in a postseason game are Roy Gerela of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Bills on Dec. 22, 1974; Errol Mann of the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI vs. the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 9, 1977; and the Bills’ Steve Christie against the Raiders on Jan. 15, 1994.

Only Gerela has missed more extra points in his postseason career than Maher. Gerela missed six in 15 playoff games, while Maher has missed four (all on Monday) in three postseason games. Patriots star Stephen Gostkowski (29 playoff games) and the San Francisco 49ers’ Mike Cofer (12 playoff games) are tied for second with Maher, each with four career missed PATs in the postseason.

Luckily for Maher and the Cowboys, the Buccaneers’ offense was equally inept, with five punts and an interception thrown in the end zone in their first six possessions (other than their drive that finished at midfield to end the half).

–Field Level Media