In the aftermath of yet another early playoff exit, some are wondering if the Cowboys should move on from second-year head coach Mike McCarthy. While changes are expected at one – if not both – coordinator positions in Dallas’ coaching staff, it appears that he is not in danger right now. 
While speaking on 105.3 The Fan, executive vice president Stephen Jones was asked about his confidence that McCarthy would be back. As reported by the Athletic’s Jon Machota (via Twitter), Jones’ response was: “absolutely. Very confident”. In the immediate aftermath of the team’s 23-17 loss to San Francisco, owner and GM Jerry Jones said “I don’t even want to discuss anything like that at this particular time”, but his son’s comments today certainly point to McCarthy staying on for at least a third season at the helm.
The senior Jones’ overall level of dismay was clear in his other postgame remarks. As ESPN’s Todd Archer reports, Jones said, “I’m really disappointed for our fans. They really deserved to see this team advance on into the playoffs”, as was expected to an even greater degree of this season’s squad. The loss marks the Cowboys’ seventh one-and-done appearance in the postseason within a stretch of eleven straight times falling short of the NFC title game.
Public expressions of confidence in McCarthy are hardly new. Stephen Jones stated in December his faith in the 58-year-old to lead the team on a Super Bowl run. After an injury-riddled 6-10 campaign in 2020, McCarthy’s second year in charge went much better: a 12-5 record, an NFC East title, and optimism surrounding a loaded offense and surprisingly resurgent defense. Sunday saw an alarming lack of discipline and execution, however, leaving the Cowboys with an early offseason once again.
The aforementioned Machota writes that McCarthy should share a large deal of blame for the loss. He notes that the Cowboys were the most penalized team in the NFL during the regular season, something that was a factor on Sunday as they were flagged 14 times. Wondering aloud if the Cowboys are simply an undisciplined team, Machota writes “they certainly looked like one Sunday. They look unprepared, too. And those things ultimately fall on McCarthy”.
It is widely expected that some form of change will be coming on the Cowboys’ staff. The list of candidates for the eight head coaching vacancies league-wide includes both OC Kellen Moore and DC Dan Quinn, the latter being touted as the favorite for the Broncos’ job. As for McCarthy himself, he provided a similar response to those of his bosses with regards to his job security: “I don’t have any concerns. I’m proud to be standing here today. I’m proud of my football team”. Considering the ten-year run Jason Garrett had in the role previously, it would not come as a surprise if the Super Bowl XLV champion McCarthy was given a fair amount of leeway in his early years with the Cowboys.
Great. Let’s piss away another 10 years
That’s exactly what the vast majority of NFL fans want!
Joe Judge is available
I aways find it interesting when a team being penalized a lot is automatically pinned on the HC.
It largely depends on the penalties, doesn’t it? I don’t watch the Cowboys, but if most of their penalties were holding calls or offsides then, to me, that is mostly on the position coach. Isn’t that literally their job?
Now, if the team is getting a ton of Personal Fouls and Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties due to undisciplined play and energy, then that’s different. HC is definitely more responsible there.
Yeah, not the coach’s fault when one dummy tackles a lineman that was trying to block him, or when your big $ QB runs too far, then thinks he can snap a ball after his center spots it wherever he wants and they didn’t allow the ref to get through and do his job in spotting it.
20-20 hindsight, but the move he should have done right after they set up was to try to make a play immediately after hiking it. The spike itself killed that last second. Could a play like that have been successful? Maybe because, like the Marino fake spike that sent the Jets into a tailspin, the 49ers would’ve been expecting the spike. The element of surprise might have been just as effective as a set play.
You couldn’t run a play, the whole idea was the ref had to spot it, give the man space to get in there and do it. Running a play prior to being permitted would’ve resulted in a run off and game over.
That call was kind of weird. Shouldn’t they have taken a couple of shots on a hail mary?
Stupid. Undisciplined team. Penalties prove that. Unprepared team. The results prove that.
There record was held up due to being in a weak division and playing crap teams twice a season.
Can’t believe they won’t fire Mike
The best team they beat was probably the Chargers. And they didn’t even make the playoffs…
I’m not a huge believer in McCarthy, but it has only been two seasons. So I’m not exactly upset about it (then again, I’m not a Cowboys fan).
But, on the other hand, I was trying to see where the Cowboys could improve and it’s difficult to find gaping holes in the roster. The interior of the defensive line may be one area, as well as at corner and safety. But the defense overall played pretty well. Thing is, a lot of that was a result of Micah Parsons’ multipositional breakout year. I think that the Cowboys could move him back inside after adding a dynamic edge rusher, or keep him there if so choose while adding another inside linebacker. Either way, they should pick one.
The roster isn’t bad, so we have to think that either another year with McCarthy will tighten up what will now be veterans in his system or we think that the Cowboys should blow it up and start over. Considering the fact that they JUST finished retooling their defense-for the second time since hiring McCarthy-another rebuild might be wasteful.
Great so we know the Cowboys will make the playoffs but never quite finish the job
Tony Romo made a career of it…
Tony Romo? The announcer?
Yes
One more year is not going to kill anybody Just like fifty bucks never killed anybody, that famous line from Used Cars.
I don’t think there is any better coaches available to be honest
The rest of the NFL is great with this decision. Yes please. Keep him.
They may want to install on both the Offensive and Defensive line of scrimmage that you move on the snap? Line discipline must have been glazed over this year? Oh…..and explain the line of scrimmage so they don’t line up off sides? These accounted for a majority of the franchise and game records for penalties. Pre-snap penalties this past year were embarrassing and cost them 100s of yards. They extended drives for the oppositions offense and created long conversion for the teams offense all year?
Cowboys being cowboys. Love it.
He only got one championship with Aaron Rodgers, perhaps the most talented thrower of the football of all time. This man should not be coaching a Pee Wee team.
The Prescott sneak was a worse play call than Pete Carroll’s slant.
Just one of the most nonsensical things I’ve ever seen.
But, the Cowboys lack of discipline is beyond any one coach. Jerry likes knuckleheads. They won’t win with him running things*.
*Johnson made the picks in the early 90s.
Johnson was one of the keenest judge of college and pro talent ever seen and I’m not a Cowboys or Johnson fan…..he had a system and knew how to find the right players who could not just fit but excel in it.
Of course there’s no way of knowing, but it sure seemed like that last play was a spur of the moment Dak decision.
keeping McCarthy is great news for the rest of the NFC.
As an Eagles fan — awesome
Against the 9ers they had 1 INT and not a single sack, whereas the 9ers had 5 sacks.
Jimmy G ain’t a special QB and if you put him under pressure, push him back a couple times and take the ball away more then your going to be winning games with that offence.
Also didn’t help that Zeke averaged 2.5 yards per carry and was getting shown up by a 6th round pick rookie.
A lot of quality young players like Lamb, Parsons, Diggs. They seem to be going in the right direction I’d stay with McCarthy and try keep their current coordinators
McCarthy didn’t get enough out of this talented roster.
As a Redskins fan, this is the best news out of Dallas since they signed Prescott to a long term contract. They are setting themselves up for ANOTHER couple of decades of mediocrity.
HAIL!
U get a like for the Redskins alone lol
and the Redskins will be right there with them. HAIL!
The Washington Foreskins know all about mediocrity as it’s what they’re hoping to reach.
The Cowboys coaches and players after this season should step back and really ponder why they got beat at home in a wild card game?
They weren’t beaten physically. They were beaten MENTALLY! The Dallas OL failed to understand their own snap counts 18 weeks into a regular season? They constantly found themselves giving big plays back, creating 3rd and longs due to penalties. Failed to sustain drives, control the ball and the clock.
On defense they constantly allowed SF to sustain drives by jumping off sides and causing penalties to keep SF on the field. Debacles during the Regular season ie: Denver and Arizona should have been a wake up call? BUT not the Cowboys. So as you sit at home yet again be reminded that having a talented roster isn’t enough in the playoffs.
You don’t see top clubs shooting themselves in the foot each year. TB, GB, KC are teams you should watch next week. They moved on for good reason. They aren’t better athletes. They play smart football. Even if you won this past week that style of loosey-goosey undisciplined football wouldn’t have beat the big dogs!
So go back, “stay awake” in the classroom and REMEMBER WHY you went home embarrassed! Day one in camp it should be written on the chaulkboard: Football IQ
Lastly. Numbers don’t lie. I read in one article that Dallas gave up 1,500 yards in penalties and lost yardage due to those errors. To put that another way they lost 88.6 yards per GAME! That is simply staggering! Its more surprising they were 12-5 than they lost in the wild card round! So it won’t be hard to focus in on the problem, getting players to figure this out will be!