Many observers expected Jerry Jones to replace Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy after their Wild Card round loss to the Packers during the last postseason. However, the Dallas owner decided against that given he had taken the franchise to the divisional top spot and consistently to the playoffs.
So, Jerry Jones gave Mike McCarthy another chance, but not a fresh contract, and he might already be regretting it. The Cowboys regressed to 3-3 for the 2024 NFL season after a blowout 47-9 defeat to the Lions. The loss would have stung but it was the manner that was most concerning. That it came on the Dallas owner's birthday made it even worse.
Asked after the end of the game if he was looking at firing Mike McCarthy now, Jerry Jones replied that he was not. He kept it short in his remarks, saying,
“I’m not considering that.”
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Jerry Jones refuses to dial down pressure on embattled Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy
Jerry Jones said that he was not considering releasing Mike McCarthy from his duties but that did not mean that the Cowboys owner did not convey his displeasure. The 47-9 blowout was called "very concerning" and "very humbling." He even emphasized,
“This was a shocker.”
However, the worrying point, if one is a Dallas fan, is quite the opposite. This was not a shock. After the Packers ran riot on the ground during the playoffs' Wild Card round mauling last season, opposition teams have struck upon a formula that the Cowboys seem incapable of neutralizing.
The running backs keep adding yards on the ground, significantly outgaining the opposition in terms of territory, scores, and time of possession. That takes the game away from their offense and then they have to throw more to bridge the gap. Dak Prescott is not as accurate then and that leads to turnovers, which is again exploited by the other team, as the Lions did today. Even when Cooper Rush came in, he left with an interception to his name.
Whether it was Dan Quinn before him or Mike Zimmer now, the Dallas defense seems to crumble under a power-run game by the opposition. That should be concerning for the head coach even if the owner has given him a vote of confidence.
He does not have a contract with the franchise beyond the end of this year and other teams will not look to hire him if he cannot fix a problem that has been glaringly obvious for some time now.
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