Dallas Cowboys fans are going to be down bad as long as Jerry Jones owns the team and as long as Mike McCarthy is the head coach. Jones’ reign over the franchise has no end in sight. He had the chance to fire McCarthy, but instead opted to keep him after a most embarrassing 48-32 loss to the Packers on Wild Card Weekend.
What’s even worse is the way Jones validated his decision, citing things like McCarthy having the best regular-season winning percentage in Cowboys franchise history. Jones also alluded to McCarthy having “demonstrated postseason success at a high level” during his career and believes it’ll continue. Based on what evidence, I couldn’t tell you.
The most damning part about all this, really, is the fact that Jones will likely never have quite this golden of an opportunity to land an elite coach and finally take his franchise into the 21st century. Clinging to Jason Garrett for so long proved to be the wrong choice. Clinging to McCarthy over Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel and any other number of more current football minds is among the worst decisions Jones has ever made.
Would it surprise you at all if I told you that Jones didn’t even bother to consider two of the best team builders in football history in Belichick and Harbaugh, never mind anyone else?
Yes, McCarthy has gone 12-5 each of the past three regular seasons and had quarterback Dak Prescott playing the best ball of his life. It doesn’t matter when you fall flat on your face in the playoffs with an uninspired game plan. Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur coached circles around McCarthy. Jordan Love looked like the viable MVP candidate, not Dak. The Packers embarrassed Jerry’s ‘Boys on their own field as the youngest playoff team to win such a game in NFL history.
This postseason success Jones alludes to regarding McCarthy? He’s posted one playoff victory in the past six years and advanced past the Divisional Round only once since his one Super Bowl back in the 2010 season. People forget what happened in the Wild Card Round that year. Michael Vick threw an interception in the end zone with 44 seconds left on 1st and 10 from the 27-yard line. Would’ve given the Eagles the go-ahead touchdown. But let’s not discredit anything from over a decade ago. Green Bay won the Super Bowl. Good for them.
Jerry Jones must be content with having a great regular season and advancing no further than the Divisional Round. Dallas has failed to reach the NFC Championship Game since the 1995-96 playoffs.
Look, I’m all for offensive-minded head coaches. Belichick isn’t that, but as long as he gets disgraced, failed head coach Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator, much more recent history (compared to McCarthy’s most notable accomplishments) says The Hooide should be fine on that side of the ball. Or God forbid, Belichick actually hires some forward-thinking play-caller. That’s a whole other article.
Vrabel would have a built-in OC in Arthur Smith if he so desires. Their success in Tennessee makes them a logical pairing. As for Harbaugh, he can call his own plays, or choose from any number of bright guys who’d be lining up around the block to work with him.
You look at the product McCarthy put on the field last weekend, and it’s more depressing than anything else. If that’s the best he can do, that’s just not good enough if Jones’ true ambition is to hoist a Lombardi Trophy.
Not much more to add here. The Dallas Cowboys are not serious about winning. Jones’ own words and his actions prove that point. We’ll be right about here at this time next year, with major questions about Dak’s future unless Jerry opts to pay him a bazillion dollars this offseason. Won’t be surprised if that happens either. HOW ‘BOUT THEM COWBOYS.
