NFL

High Noon: Why The Dallas Cowboys Must Fire Mike McCarthy Now

Darren Ryding - October 28, 2024

NFL

High Noon: Why The Dallas Cowboys Must Fire Mike McCarthy Now

Darren Ryding - October 28, 2024

The Dallas Cowboys suffered another shocking playoff meltdown as their 2023 season came to a humiliating end when they were blown out by the Green Bay Packers in a home game. Many fans immediately pointed their fingers at head coach Mike McCarthy. The former Green Bay Super Bowl winner is no stranger to pressure but his job is understandably hanging by a thread right now.

Many analysts, reporters, and most of all, Dallas fans believe it’s time for Jerry Jones to pull the trigger. They think McCarthy isn’t the man to guide ‘America’s Team’ to glory and is wasting an ultra-talented team. It’s been nearly 30 years of playoff agony for America’s most valuable sports franchise and McCarthy is rubbing salt in their wounds. Here’s why it’s time for him to go.

Lack of Preparation

One of the worst parts of their brutal playoff defeat at the hands of Green Bay was their lack of preparation. The Cowboys started so sluggishly that they didn’t know which gameplan to use. The Packers led 27-0 before Dallas put a single point on the board at the end of the second quarter. It was an appalling capitulation and their fans couldn’t believe what they witnessed.

Nfc Wild Card Playoffs Green Bay Packers V Dallas Cowboys — The Spun

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love ran wild and showed why Packers head coach Matt LaFleur put his faith in him. The Cowboys had no answer for him and he was a menace all night – even if it was the first and only playoff start of his young career. It was one of the worst postseason displays from a Dallas team ever and that’s saying a lot. For many Cowboys supporters, this was a bridge too far (via The Athletic).

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Stacked Roster

Make no mistake about it, this is an excellent Dallas team on paper. Statistically, they have one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, arguably the best receiver in the NFC, and a clutch of other top talent. In November 2023, Sports Illustrated called them a ‘genuine Super Bowl contender’ because they have so many elite pieces. However, McCarthy ensured they fell dramatically short, something that’s become a trend in his Cowboys tenure.

Dallas Cowboys V Seattle Seahawks — The Spun

They have the likes of CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, Brandin Cooks, and an exciting rookie in Mazi Smith, so there was depth all over the field on offense and defense. But McCarthy wasted it. That’s one of the most unforgivable aspects of his time in Texas. It’s time to hire another coach who can potentially break their playoff malaise (via Sports Illustrated).

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MVP Contender

Another issue is that McCarthy had a bonafide MVP contender on his roster. Lamar Jackson was indeed the standout in 2023 but Prescott was up there for most of the season. As late as December 11, analysts described Prescott as in the lead for the coveted award. He led the Cowboys’ efficient offense while McCarthy called the plays.

This was supposed to be the year that the two men put it together. He had a passer rating of 105.9 with 4,516 yards during the regular season. Prescott threw 36 touchdowns as he proved to be very effective. His interception rate went down too, with only eight on the season. In the end, it didn’t matter because they flunked the playoffs as McCarthy wasted the opportunity (via NFL.com).

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The Aaron Rodgers Story

In 2010, McCarthy and the Packers won the Super Bowl with a victory over the Steelers. However, many people think that Aaron Rodgers was the main reason why they claimed the Lombardi Trophy. They also believe that the Packers should have enjoyed much more Super Bowl success because they had Rodgers on their roster (via Bleacher Report).

The future four-time MVP was one of the best players in the league. But McCarthy never put his full faith in the quarterback. Some of his critics thought that Jerry Jones made a mistake when he appointed McCarthy. They didn’t think that he would take the risks to win in the playoffs. Now it looks like they’re right because he has a history of postseason failure.

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No Dynamism

One of the biggest issues surrounding McCarthy and his team is their inability to make big in-game decisions. The Packers took a massive lead before the Cowboys finally scored. They watched haplessly and didn’t even put up a feeble attempt to fight back. This could be McCarthy’s downfall because he has a lack of flexibility.

However, this was unusual because normally McCarthy had meltdowns late in the game. That’s what’s happened in his previous postseason crusade attempts with Dallas. It doesn’t help that he wears his expressions on his face so it’s clear when something is going wrong (via CBS News).

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Erratic Contenders

There’s no escaping the fact that this was the perfect year for the Cowboys. Arguably there isn’t a standout team in the postseason this year. Yes, the Ravens and the Niners are the strongest teams top-to-bottom but even they have their flaws. This was a golden opportunity for a Cowboys attempt at glory.

Lamar Jackson Aafd758224f44e5780dab1102d23e890 — People

If they fell short in the NFC Championship Game it might be a different story. But it’s unforgivable for a Green Bay team to beat them when they’re going through transition. This was Jordan Love’s first year as a starter so it was supposed to be too early. It’s a bad look for McCarthy and his crew (via Fox 11).

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Bill Belichick

Another reason why Jerry Jones will consider firing McCarthy is because there are some exciting options. Many people think that former Patriots head coach Belichick is the perfect fit. They believe he is the man with the personality to make them win now. His six Super Bowl rings speak for themselves (via Sports Illustrated).

Yes, Belichick ran out of gas after 24 years in Foxborough but he’s still hungry. He desperately wants to break Don Shula’s record as the winningest coach ever. Leading Dallas would give him a realistic way to achieve this. He also has the personality to fight fire with fire when it comes to Jones’ inevitable interference.

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Win Now

Make no mistake, the Cowboys are running out of time. Dak Prescott is 30 so theoretically he’s in his prime. His numbers also support this because he set career highs in many metrics. But the Dallas front office knows that it’s risky to depend on the injury-prone star. Furthermore, they have a big contract decision to make.

Meanwhile, Jerry Jones is also running out of time because he’s no spring chicken anymore. The 81-year-old is desperate to win a Super Bowl but arguably he’s his worst enemy. Everybody knows that he hasn’t helped matters by constantly hiring and firing coaches. This time it’s crucial that he makes the right move (via Dallas Cowboys).

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Fan Despair

It doesn’t take a genius to decipher that Dallas fans are desperate for glory. They’ve endured 30 years of pain despite being the most lucrative franchise in the U.S. They also want Jones to fire McCarthy now because they don’t believe that he’s the man to bring them a sixth Super Bowl.

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Even if he starts the new season with a winning record it won’t change things. The regular season isn’t the issue because Dallas cruised through it in 2023 without too much trouble. Now people believe that McCarthy doesn’t have the chops to lead a franchise in clutch situations, and the data supports that (via The Athletic).

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No Support From Jerrah

The writing may be on the wall for McCarthy because he doesn’t appear to have Jones’ support. It’s a strange situation because Jones has never openly praised the head coach over the past few seasons. Questions arose about his future multiple times over the past four years because of his results.

Jones has always been cautious in committing to McCarthy so it may be time for him to move on. Fans don’t believe that the owner is desperate to keep him so it’s a very strange situation. Only time will tell if Jones pulls the trigger but the McCarthy Doomsday Clock is ticking closer (via Yardbreaker).

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Jim Harbaugh

Harbaugh is another of the most interesting coaching options in 2024. The former Michigan head coach is a national champion and has an impressive resume. The Chargers maintain heavy links to him but Dallas will also surely interview him if they fire McCarthy. Most college coaches fail to make the step up to the NFL but Harbaugh has the pedigree.

Some critics think that Bill Belichick is a safer option because he has Super Bowl-winning experience. Others point to Detroit’s offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The point is that there are many exciting options out there for Jones to consider. It may be too tempting for Jones not to make a move (via Bleacher Report).

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91f1360380d5455919f4774688d9b938 — Yahoo Sports

Overrated Coach

McCarthy has spent the overwhelming majority of his career in the NFC since he joined the Packers as quarterbacks coach in 1999. It’s fair to say that it hasn’t been the strongest of the two conferences over the past couple of decades. That’s one reason why it’s been easier for him to pad his regular season record.

Mike Mccarthy Explains His Questionable Decision — Yardbreaker

Meanwhile, he spent years hiding behind Aaron Rodgers’ brilliance before he moved to Dallas. Then their elite roster carried him through the regular season before he showed his true colors in the playoffs. He’s enjoyed a good career at the top of the sport but nobody will pretend that he’s elite (via Sporting News).

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Home Humiliation

The Dallas fans couldn’t believe what they were watching at first as Green Bay took control of the game. It wasn’t meant to be like this because the Cowboys were at home at the AT&T Stadium. This was humiliation of the highest order because it should have meant more to them.

We saw how the Detroit Lions responded when they finally had the chance to win a game at Ford Field. It was an iconic day for the franchise and sent their long-suffering supporters into raptures. That’s what the Cowboys fans wanted and they expected an effort from their team but it didn’t come (via The Ringer).

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Playoff Meltdowns

McCarthy has an overall playoff record of 11-11. Because of this, he’s not the man that anybody will trust to guide their franchise to the promised land. That’s one of the main reasons why it’s time for the Cowboys to call time on his tenure. Yes, he has an excellent winning record during the regular season after a tough first year in Dallas.

Report Cowboys Players Strong Stance On Mike — Yardbreaker

However, one playoff victory isn’t enough to justify keeping him in the driver’s seat. The head coach has only coached one postseason win since 2017 when we include the Packers. It’s not a great record and shows why overall win statistics can be misleading. The time is now for Jerry Jones to cut ties with the Pittsburgh native (via New York Post).

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Three Decades

It’s been almost 30 years since the Cowboys last won the last Super Bowl in 1996. They were the dominant force of the ’90s after they usurped San Francisco as the NFL’s most dominant team. But they haven’t had much to cheer about since then with just four playoff wins in 28 years.

‘America’s Team’ is desperate to change this and to turn their off-field commercial success into rings. It doesn’t appear that Mike McCarthy is the man to get them over the line. They’ve had six head coaches since Barry Switzer guided them to glory but they haven’t come close to replicating his success (via Larry Brown Sports).

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