The Dallas Cowboys choked? No way. Mike McCarthy looked like a buffoon? No way. Dak Prescott came up small on a big stage? No way! The quarterback who’s never made it past the Divisional Round, you’re telling me, didn’t rise to the occasion on Wild Card Weekend? Color me absolutely shocked.
Oh wait…I wasn’t.
I wouldn’t normally say an NFL head coach was on the chopping block after posting three straight 12-win seasons. It’s just that, the Cowboys are the most valuable major sports professional franchise in North America, and continue to blow it when it matters most. Something’s gotta change. Is it the quarterback? No. Dak played like an MVP this year, or so I was told. Then it must be Mike McCarthy.
You could tell Dallas owner Jerry Jones was none too pleased after seeing his squad get curb stomped 48-32 on their own field by Jordan Love and the Packers in a game that was not nearly as close as the scoreboard would indicate.
If ever there were an ominous warning shot from Jones, this was it. Schefty doesn’t just put BS out there for no reason, either. Check out what he had to say after this one, Mr. Big J Journalism Objective Reporter type:
I mean…to say that doesn’t bode well for Mike McCarthy may be the understatement of the 21st century thus far. Dak did his best to fall on the sword and support his head coach.
I just…I don’t see it. How do you bring Milquetoast McCarthy back for one last ride? Especially if he loses his top-flight defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to a head coaching job? Quinn got cooked by Matt LaFleur today, but that’s beside the point I’m trying to make here.
McCarthy got outclassed as a seven-point favorite at home in the postseason. He hasn’t led the Cowboys to an NFC Championship Game in three seasons at the helm. They had plenty of talent to get there. It just didn’t happen.
Therefore, it’s no surprise to see the court of public opinion wanting to see McCarthy file into the guillotine queue.
Look out. Jerry Jones is notoriously “in the family” and conservative when it comes to his hiring practices. He stuck with Jason Garrett to a fault. I feel like, to be candid, McCarthy probably deserves one more year. Then again, to get so thoroughly outclassed by the last team to make it into the playoffs makes it a tougher sell to the fan base. On top of all that, it’s a historically great head coaching cycle this offseason. We’ve got Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel and possibly even Pete Carroll available to take the reins in Big D.
I don’t know which one of those guys would want the Cowboys job. Belichick makes more sense in Philly to me (assuming the Eagles lose in Tampa on Monday). Harbaugh could very well return to the West Coast and coach up Justin Herbert with the Chargers. Carroll has a post in the Seahawks’ front office for now, so who knows what his deal is. Vrabel is a true wild card who could bring Arthur Smith with him as offensive coordinator. Fascinating to ponder all these possible McCarthy replacements. I think he’s gone. We shall see.
Maybe Jerry should get Jimmy Johnson back on the sidelines:
