Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin: Is Brett Maher's issue 'technique' or a 'brain tweak?'

Despite his historically inept performance in Monday night's 31-14 wild-card victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys are sticking with place kicker Brett Maher going into Sunday's divisional round showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.

That hardly means there's a universal sense of confidence about the decision.

"You know they will not have the same kind of margin for error," former Cowboys wideout and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin told USA TODAY Sports regarding Dallas' upcoming matchup.

"(San Francisco) is going to be a whole different story."

Maher became the first player in at least the past 90 years to miss four extra points in one game. Going back to Week 18's loss to the Washington Commanders, he'd misfired on five in a row before converting Monday following Dallas' fifth and final touchdown.

"Maher, it's not like he's had a horrible season," said Irvin, who watched the Cowboys defeat the Bucs for their first postseason road triumph in 30 years from owner Jerry Jones' suite at Raymond James Stadium.

"This just, when something goes so bad, now I gotta wonder if it's technique – something I've got to fix in my swing – or is this a brain tweak, where something's going wrong in my head? That's the concern.

"But if it becomes an issue – say like Ben Simmons or something – then we have to address that. And they gotta find out, is it physical or is it mental."

Maher's nightmare shouldn't entail near the same level of drama as the perplexing New Jersey Nets guard, whose free-throw percentage has fallen below 44% this season. But Simmons' crushing struggles for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021 are a reminder that playoff pressure is a different animal.

"At the end of the day, we all have a job to do," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. "(Maher) knows he has to put the ball through the uprights. And he's been super productive and consistent for us."

During the regular season, Maher, a five-year veteran in his third tour with Dallas, attempted a league-high 53 extra-point attempts and made 50. He converted all but three of his 32 field-goal tries.

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"I was worried about what those (missed) extra points might do toward winning this game,” Jones said Monday. “When I got by that, then I’m not going to worry about it anymore. He’s done enough good ones. I don’t think he’s blown the socket or whatever you do."

But as the Cowboys prepare to face a team that's won a league-high 11 games, including last weekend's 41-23 defeat of the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round, they'll surely need the regular-season version of Maher – even if that could be further complicated by kicking amid Levi's Stadium's occasionally challenging weather conditions.

Dallas did take out an insurance policy on Wednesday, signing kicker Tristan Vizcaino to the practice squad.

And yet maybe Maher won't ever be on the hook given the Niners' average margin of victory during their heater has been 16.3 points. But the oddsmakers think this game will be close, Tipico installing San Francisco as a 4-point favorite.

"This is most definitely not the team where you can get away with that," said Irvin, who spoke while promoting TradeZing (a live-streaming, social engagement platform designed for Millennial and Gen Z traders).

"You can get away with it with the Buccaneers that only average 15 points. You can get away with it if it was the Minnesota Vikings.

"But they're not going to get away with it against these great San Francisco 49ers. You can't miss those extra points and expect to win that game – even if you play a perfect game, and that's what's going to be required."

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Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Irvin: Brett Maher a concern for Dallas Cowboys in playoffs