The Dallas Cowboys could be facing a familiar face in the NFL playoffs as former kicker Brett Maher signed with the Los Angeles Rams. The move comes a little more than a week before the Rams could face the Cowboys in the Wild Card round.
Maher’s tenure in Dallas ended on a down note after the veteran started the 2022 season as a dependable kicker. The Cowboys wisely opted to move in a different direction this offseason.
Maher missed at least one extra point in his final three outings with the Cowboys, including two playoff matchups. The tension reached a breaking point against the Buccaneers when Maher missed four of five extra point attempts.
Reunion: The #Rams are signing veteran kicker Brett Maher, Sean McVay said.
L.A. waived Lucas Havrisik today. Now the 34-year-old Maher, who kicked in seven games earlier this season, is back with the playoff-bound Rams. pic.twitter.com/r7CQsmu1jY
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 1, 2024
All this has Cowboys fans thankful for new kicker Brandon Aubrey who has not missed a field goal this season. Heading into Week 18, Aubrey is a perfect 35-for-35 on field goal attempts. Aubrey has missed three extra points hitting 44-of-47 tries this season.
34/34
Brandon Aubrey is HIM pic.twitter.com/eHzr34mUkX
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 31, 2023
Maher’s woes continued in Los Angeles after signing with the team in August. The veteran missed six field goals in his first eight games with the Rams and was released on October 24. To Maher’s credit, four of these missed attempts came from beyond 50 yards, not exactly chip shots.
The Dallas Cowboys Could Face Brett Maher & the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Playoffs
Los Angeles re-signed Maher on January 1 with the expectation the former Cowboy would be the team’s kicker if the Rams make the postseason. Given Maher’s past struggles in Dallas, some Cowboys fans may be rooting to see the Rams in the playoffs.
https://twitter.com/CallMeGreg4/status/1615187853788745728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1615187853788745728%7Ctwgr%5Eccfc1146121d92dade8bb46aaae841025afdfab2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fheavy.com%2Fsports%2Fdallas-cowboys%2Fnews-rumors-la-rams-maher-aubrey%2F
Heading into Week 18, the Cowboys are the No. 2 seed and would host the No. 7 Packers in the Wild Card round. A Rams loss combined with a Packers win would make Los Angeles the No. 7 seed.
Dallas can secure the No. 2 seed with a win over the Commanders. If all this plays out as outlined above, the Cowboys would face the Rams in the opening round. The Packers and Seahawks are also possible opponents if Dallas wins the NFC East and lands the No. 2 seed.
Cowboys Rumors: Dallas Passed on Former Pro Bowlers to Sign Ex-USFL Kicker Brandon Aubrey
Aubrey took an unlikely path to joining Dallas, but the Cowboys are fortunate the team found the specialist. The player who Dak Prescott has nicknamed “Butter” for his smoothness has emerged as one of the top kickers in the league.
#CowboysNation, how would YOU describe @Brandon_Aubrey’s rookie season? 🧈#ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/xzZAP5uEEO
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 16, 2023
From the MLS to USFL, Aubrey eventually landed on the Cowboys’ radar. Dallas’ decision to pass on more accomplished veterans this offseason in favor of an unproven Aubrey turned out to be prudent.
“The Cowboys were interested in a couple of kickers in this year’s draft but both were selected before Dallas was willing to use one of its picks,” The Athletic’s Jon Machota wrote in a December 13 feature titled, “How ‘Butter’ Brandon Aubrey continues to impress Cowboys: ‘There’s just so much there.’” “So, [special teams coordinator John Fassel] worked on scouting roughly a hundred players, mostly from the XFL and USFL. Tristan Vizcaino was on the roster, but it seemed unlikely that they would go into camp with just him at the position.
“On the outside, many speculated about veteran free agents like Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby and Ryan Succop. Fassel was determined to find a younger option.”
