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Special team players do their work when they are not part of the conversation. One of the biggest stories of the Dallas Cowboys' week 1 loss to the Carolina Panthers was the lack of a goal from the new kicker. Brett Maher. The 47-yard effort would not have changed the outcome of the match, but given the overwhelming popularity of the former Cowboys kicker. Dan BaileyMaher immediately drew the wrath of a crowd of fans who already wanted to dislike him. Although he did not admit, this absence was inevitable given the pressure associated with replacing Bailey, who is the second most accurate player in the history of the NFL.
But the story of Sunday's win against the New York Giants has been marked by offensive improvements and defensive excellence. Fans were so consumed with the 64-yard touchdown Austin Tavern They scored in the first game and the six sacks that the Dallas defense managed to accumulate. They missed two kicks that could have changed the outcome of the match. Although neither one nor the other was particularly difficult, Maher made 29- and 37-yard attempts in the win. If they had missed it and the Cowboys had only scored 14 points, the Giants could have qualified for two in their only touchdown and potentially sent the game in overtime.
No kicker will ever celebrate two kicks under 40 meters, but the fact that Maher's name has not even gone through the minds of Cowboys fans this week is a step in the right direction. He did not do anything flashy against the Giants. He just did what was asked of him and kicked him when he was asked to do it. This is ultimately the majority of the work of a kicker. Winners are rare. If an offense does its job, it should not even be necessary. Maher will rarely be asked to do 57 meters as he did in the pre-season final against the Houston Texans. His job is to make realistic kicks. He did it on Sunday.
They also proved to be Maher's first goals on the field. Maher played his first NFL game in the regular season against the Panthers and made his first field goals against the Giants. It should not be treated differently from other kickers. Bailey missed a kick in his second career game, after all. Maher can now hold that little victory over his head.
The message to be learned from Maher's first two games is patience. He's not Bailey. He does not need to be at his salary. He's a kicker who's just starting to make his way into the NFL, and he's coming to grips with pressure. Any kicker who can make two of his first three attempts while replacing a legend of the NFL's most visible team will likely stay in the league.
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