Brett Maher’s Third Missed PAT Made Dak Prescott to Throw Helmet in Frustration
Dak Prescott’s fiery response right before halftime of the Cowboys’ Monday Night Football game against the Buccaneers was sparked by kicker Brett Maher’s rough first half.
After the first four series ended in punts, Prescott and the Cowboys blew past Tom Brady and the Bucs with three touchdown drives in a row. However, kicker Brett Maher missed three consecutive extra-point tries, resulting in Dallas taking an impressive but slightly worrying 18-0 lead into halftime.
Prescott was clearly frustrated following Maher’s third missed extra point; he had made 50 of 54 during the regular season. Cameras followed Prescott as he walked to the Cowboys bench. After Maher’s miss, the veteran quarterback slammed his helmet on the ground and yelled, “Go for f——— two,” indicating that he would have preferred a two-point conversion try rather than continuing to rely on the failing kicker.
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, feeling Prescott’s misery, walked out from ESPN2’s Manningcast in anger after the miss.
After Prescott led the Cowboys on another touchdown drive on their opening series of the third quarter, the Cowboys extended their advantage to 24-0, but Maher missed the extra point for the fourth time. After the Cowboys scored again in the fourth quarter to give themselves a 31-6 lead, the four-year professional regretfully made his fifth try, giving him the record for most failed extra points in a playoff game.
Even though Maher’s catastrophic series of mistakes was frustrating to see for Dallas as a whole, the No. 5 seed in the NFC got off to a good start because to Prescott’s performance and the Cowboys’ stellar defence.
Even with Maher’s missteps, Dallas still has a chance to win its first playoff series since 2018. Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best, however if the Cowboys go to the next round, he may still be hearing a lot about it.