Cowboys Country

Cowboys Conflict with 'Mind-Game' 49ers As They Collide with Kicker Brett Maher in Warmups: VIDEO

Kicker Brett Maher will get his shot for the Cowboys at the Niners ... as soon as Trent Williams gets the heck out of the way.

Mike Fisher

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The San Francisco 49ers are trying to play mind games with Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher, complete with a bit of a "thrown elbow'' that was part of a pregame confrontation between players on both teams about an hour ahead of kickoff here at Levi's Stadium.

What happened?

As is the norm, Maher and his holder and long-snapper did their pregame practice work near midfield. (The Niners kicking trio did the same, facing the other way). But an assortment of Niners players intentionally sauntered over to where snapper Matt Overton, holder Bryan Anger and Maher were working ...

And next thing you know, San Francisco All-Pro tackle Trent Williams is essentially blocking the Cowboys from doing their jobs ... 

...and then jawing with Anger and others - complete with a subtle elbow.

A bit of "gamesmanship''? "Dirty pool''? "Bush-league''? Establishing that the 6-5, 320-pound Williams can bully a 6-0, 190-pound placekicker?

The tastiest result for Cowboys Nation - and for the beleaguered Maher, who kept his job in Dallas despite missing four PATs in last week's playoff win at Tampa, would be to help his Cowboys upset the Niners and move on to the NFC Championship Game next Sunday at Philadelphia.

The Cowboys have faith that Maher will do his part today.

As coach Mike McCarthy said, "Brett has the ball. We're ready to go."

Earlier this week, Dallas signed journeyman kicker Tristan Vizcaino ... just in case. But Maher will get his shot ... as soon as Trent Williams gets the heck out of the way.

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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1990, is the author of two best-selling books on the Cowboys.

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