Is Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy under pressure this year? 3 reasons why Dallas could go another way after 2023

Mike McCarthy was hired to take the Dallas Cowboys to the next level, but has arguably failed to do that yet. He hasn't reached the NFC Championship Game, let alone the Cowboys' ultimate goal of the Super Bowl. They're routinely a contender, but that's likely not enough to satisfy anyone in the building or in the stands.

With a more complete roster this year after a few key trades and draft selections, there's no excuse not to make a deep playoff run if not go all the way. If the Cowboys can't do that, it'll likely be curtains for McCarthy. That puts him under a lot of pressure

---

Why Mike McCarthy could be on his way out of Dallas after this season

1) Stale coaching

The Cowboys have operated under Mike McCarthy since the 2020-2021 season. While it hasn't been that long of a tenure, teams often need to mix things up because the coaching gets stale. That usually takes a while, but if the team, which was good before McCarthy arrived, doesn't improve this year, there's no reason to keep doing the same thing.

This is one of the more talented teams on both sides of the ball and there can certainly be an argument that coaching has held them back. With new coordinators under McCarthy this year, it very well could be make or break. The offense is more complete and the defense is stronger, too. There's no reason the coaching should stand in their way any longer.

---

2) The Cowboys a better offensive mind

Is Mike McCarthy in trouble?

The Cowboys hired McCarthy under the billing of an "offensive innovator". Was that accurate or did the former Green Bay Packers coach just benefit from coaching a Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers? The latter certainly seems to be the case. Either way, the game has evolved. Old coaches getting retried at new places is far less common now.

The fact that the fired McCarthy got a new job as a head coach instead of a coordinator is surprising since most coordinators are becoming head coaches now. If the team doesn't put it all together, the Cowboys may need to get with the trend and hire a real offensive innovator.

---

3) No Super Bowls

Even if a team is good, a coach can be fired. If they're not winning it all over time, then a coach can and often will get fired. That's part of what got him fired in Green Bay and it could be his undoing in Dallas, too.

He's not had a lot of playoff success, which is the only thing the Cowboys look for. If he can't put it together with a deeper squad this year, then there's no reason he shouldn't be back on the unemployment line.

---

Mike McCarthy's coaching record in review

In his tenure as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy has gone 30-20 for a win percentage of .600. That's pretty solid and most teams would love to have that sort of record over a three-year period.

However, he inherited a very talented team. They had an established quarterback, one of the best offensive lines in football and a defense with a few playmakers on it. They've not really improved since then. Plus, their regular season record is stout but their playoff performance is not. That is a big indicator that his wins are more meaningless than anything.

McCarthy is a winning head coach, his records in Dallas and Green Bay prove that. However, when it counts, his teams most often cannot seem to come through. If that continues this season, he may be out of a job.