Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I've been watching football for 60 years---pros, college, HS. I've never seen or heard of a guy missing 5 straight extra points. Brett Maher missed in Dallas's regular season finale vs Washington, then whiffed on the first 4 last nite before--finally---converting. Has anybody ever seen or heard of this on any level?

So much of kicking is psychological. After the first one or two whiffs, I can imagine each following attempt must have seemed like he was kicking from 50 yards away. Wonder if Dallas will try out a new kicker, even if it is in the middle of the playoffs and despite Jerry Jones's assurances.

RichardBak wrote:I've been watching football for 60 years---pros, college, HS. I've never seen or heard of a guy missing 5 straight extra points. Brett Maher missed in Dallas's regular season finale vs Washington, then whiffed on the first 4 last nite before--finally---converting. Has anybody ever seen or heard of this on any level?

So much of kicking is psychological. After the first one or two whiffs, I can imagine each following attempt must have seemed like he was kicking from 50 yards away. Wonder if Dallas will try out a new kicker, even if it is in the middle of the playoffs and despite Jerry Jones's assurances.

Is a team even allowed to add a player once the playoffs have begun?

Is a team even allowed to add a player once the playoffs have begun?

I know in 2020 this would have been allowed. (Covid). I'm not sure if those relaxed roster rules carried over.

rhickok1109 wrote:

RichardBak wrote:I've been watching football for 60 years---pros, college, HS. I've never seen or heard of a guy missing 5 straight extra points. Brett Maher missed in Dallas's regular season finale vs Washington, then whiffed on the first 4 last nite before--finally---converting. Has anybody ever seen or heard of this on any level?

So much of kicking is psychological. After the first one or two whiffs, I can imagine each following attempt must have seemed like he was kicking from 50 yards away. Wonder if Dallas will try out a new kicker, even if it is in the middle of the playoffs and despite Jerry Jones's assurances.

Is a team even allowed to add a player once the playoffs have begun?

You're right---I was so flabbergasted that a guy could miss 5 straight chip shots in this era of ho-hum 55-yd FGs that I forgot Dallas might not even be able to bring in a new kicker because of the rules.

If it's any consolation to Maher, Doak Walker missed 3 of his first 4 XP in his first pro game, against GB in 1950. After that rocky start the Doaker was pretty much Mr. Reliable for the rest of his career.

rhickok1109 wrote:

RichardBak wrote:I've been watching football for 60 years---pros, college, HS. I've never seen or heard of a guy missing 5 straight extra points. Brett Maher missed in Dallas's regular season finale vs Washington, then whiffed on the first 4 last nite before--finally---converting. Has anybody ever seen or heard of this on any level?

So much of kicking is psychological. After the first one or two whiffs, I can imagine each following attempt must have seemed like he was kicking from 50 yards away. Wonder if Dallas will try out a new kicker, even if it is in the middle of the playoffs and despite Jerry Jones's assurances.

Is a team even allowed to add a player once the playoffs have begun?

I think so, but I don't know for sure.. At the very least, Dallas could sign a kicker to the practice squad, and then call him up for every playoff game.

MIckey Spagnola, part of the Cowboys' media staff, noticed that they resodded the middle of the field between the 20s. He thought the turf being "loose" might have contributed to the problem. Tampa's kicker didn't attempt any XPs so that's all just a theory.

lehotskys80 wrote:MIckey Spagnola, part of the Cowboys' media staff, noticed that they resodded the middle of the field between the 20s. He thought the turf being "loose" might have contributed to the problem. Tampa's kicker didn't attempt any XPs so that's all just a theory.

I'd be curious as to how both kickers did in pregame warmups.

The 'Boys signed some guy named Tristan Vizcaino to the practice squad as back-up/insurance/competition for Maher. Check out the new guy's stats: 15 of 20 in XPs during his 3 years (10 games with 4 different teams) for a success rate of 75%. Jeezus. He's actually much more accurate in FG, with only one miss in a dozen attempts.

RichardBak wrote:The 'Boys signed some guy named Tristan Vizcaino to the practice squad as back-up/insurance/competition for Maher. Check out the new guy's stats: 15 of 20 in XPs during his 3 years (10 games with 4 different teams) for a success rate of 75%. Jeezus. He's actually much more accurate in FG, with only one miss in a dozen attempts.

That's kind of like the Vikings' kicker this year. At one point late in the season he hadn't missed a single field goal attempt of less than 50 yards, but had missed FIVE extra points. (That may have been true for the whole season as well, but I seem to recall seeing that he did eventually miss one field goal try from inside 50.)

conace21 wrote:

rhickok1109 wrote:

RichardBak wrote:I've been watching football for 60 years---pros, college, HS. I've never seen or heard of a guy missing 5 straight extra points. Brett Maher missed in Dallas's regular season finale vs Washington, then whiffed on the first 4 last nite before--finally---converting. Has anybody ever seen or heard of this on any level?

So much of kicking is psychological. After the first one or two whiffs, I can imagine each following attempt must have seemed like he was kicking from 50 yards away. Wonder if Dallas will try out a new kicker, even if it is in the middle of the playoffs and despite Jerry Jones's assurances.

Is a team even allowed to add a player once the playoffs have begun?

I think so,, but I don't know for sure.. At the very least, Dallas could sign a kicker to the practice squad, and then call him up for every playoff game.

Yes this is what I thought also.