The Yips

Brett Maher was reportedly shanking his PATs so bad the Cowboys were running out of kicking balls

January 17, 2023

Monday was almost perfect for the Dallas Cowboys. Almost. After a rocky finish to the regular season, Dak Prescott bounced back, throwing for 304 yards, four touchdowns, and a 143.3 passer rating in a 31-14 Wild Card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The win set up a NFC Divisional showdown against a third-string QB, sent Tom Brady packing (possibly for good), and even had Mike McCarthy dancing. There was just one little hitch:

Kicker Brett Maher.

Maher had a nightmare game, tying the NFL record for the most missed PATs in a single game by halftime before missing a record fourth in the second half. Over on ESPN’s Manningcast, Peyton was speechless. He was without speech.

But it wasn’t that Maher was missing the extra points. He was reportedly shanking them so bad they were missing the net behind the uprights and flying into the stands, leaving the Dallas Cowboys short on kicking balls on the sidelines. And you thought your yips were bad?

Obviously it was an ugly scene—an unnecessary black eye on an otherwise fine evening for the Cowboys—but as Maher booted chip shot after chip shot to the hot dog stand, an unlikely redemption arc emerged. The game finished with a total of 45. DraftKings had the O/U at 45.5 heading into the game, meaning Maher single-handedly cashed the under by a mere half point. It was the only under that hit all Wild Card weekend.

So there you have it. Brett Maher; a villain to some, a hero to others. If that doesn’t sum up sports, what does?