ESPN commentator Peyton Manning and his brother Eli were clearly taken aback when Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher missed his third consecutive extra point during Monday’s playoff game.
The Cowboys came out on top regardless — besting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a final score of 31-14 — but by the time Maher whiffed his third kick, Manning was ready to pull him from the game even though his team was winning 18-0 at the time.
WATCH:
Peyton Manning is all of us reacting to the Cowboys’ third missed extra point pic.twitter.com/y1VzcE5ZZ9
— Omaha Productions (@OmahaProd) January 17, 2023
“You have got to be kidding me!” Manning stood up and walked out of frame, visibly frustrated as Maher missed the kick. “Why are we kicking it?! Why are we kicking it?!”
ESPN panned to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who also appeared to be annoyed by the turn of events.
“He can’t believe it. Talk about a buzz-kill,” Eli Manning said of Jones. “No one’s ever missed three extra points in a row. Gotta be a record.”
“Can you cut a guy at halftime of a playoff game?” Peyton asked.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott defended Maher after the game, however, noting that he himself had played poorly in recent weeks.
WATCH:
Dak Prescott sticks up for Brett Maher:
"I'm Money Maher's biggest fan… I just played like s— a week ago"
🎥: @CBSSportsHQ pic.twitter.com/SZqINWv1FB
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) January 17, 2023
“Yeah, I mean, I’m Money Maher’s biggest fan,” Prescott said. “I talked to him individually, just told him after the game, ‘He let that go, we’re going to need it.’ I just played like s*** a week ago, so I mean, that happens.”
Prescott went on to say that he believed Maher was absolutely capable of letting it go and doing better when he came back for the next game.
“Knowing what that guy’s done, with the resiliency he’s shown throughout his career, personally, no doubt that he’ll come back next week and be perfect and help us win,” Prescott added.
Maher ultimately missed four extra points during Monday’s game.
Brett Maher’s FOURTH missed extra point tonight pic.twitter.com/LVtJHjeVWh
— PFF (@PFF) January 17, 2023
Up until Monday’s game, Maher had been having a good season — nailing 50 of 53 extra point attempts — but the four misses landed him in the NFL record books for most extra point misses in a playoff game.
“They might be looking for a kicker next week,” ESPN commentator and former Cowboy Troy Aikman responded after Maher missed the fourth.