The NFC Divisional Playoff between the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Levi's Stadium should be a close game if last year's wild-card round matchup is any indicator.
San Francisco defeated Dallas 23-17 in 2022 at AT&T Stadium to advance to the divisional round. As a result, it could come down to a field-goal attempt made, which doesn't bode well for Cowboys kicker Brett Maher, who might lack confidence.
Nonetheless, Maher will be the starting kicker despite missing an NFL-record four PATs in Dallas' 31-14 wild-card round win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Cowboys signed former 49ers kicker Tristan Vizcaino to the practice squad Wednesday as insurance. However, the team is rolling the dice that Maher can recover from his bad performance and didn't activate Vizcaino.
Meanwhile, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan considers Robbie Gould one of the best kickers of his generation. San Francisco will be confident when they send out No. 9 for a field-goal attempt or PAT.
San Francisco 49ers
"He's been one of the best kickers of our generation," Shanahan told reporters Wednesday. "He's been extremely consistent. You see how long he's been doing it. And when it comes to the playoffs, that's the most important thing.
"And I feel like he's always going to make it, regardless of what game it is. That's how he's given us that feeling in these six years. And I guess it makes sense that I even feel stronger in the playoffs about it."
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Points off of field-goal attempts and PATs could determine which team gets to punch their ticket to the 2023 NFC Championship Game. However, there will be two different moods on the two sidelines when the kickers line up for their attempt.