Cowboys VP Stephen Jones Sends a Clear Message About Mike McCarthy’s Future
The Dallas Cowboys have had a disappointing 2020-21 season. The Cowboys currently sit in last place in the NFC East at 4-9, and fans are calling for Mike McCarthy’s job just one year into his tenure with the team.
But it’s hard to blame McCarthy for the nightmare season the Cowboys have endured. Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury early in the year, the offensive line has been decimated by injuries, and the defense simply doesn’t have the personnel to keep up with the high-flying offenses in today’s NFL. According to Executive Vice President Stephen Jones, the Cowboys won’t be getting rid of McCarthy any time soon.
The Cowboys thought Mike McCarthy was the answer to their problems
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been tired of the mediocrity of late. Jones wants so badly to get back to the glory days of the 1990s, but Dallas hasn’t reached the NFC Championship game in 25 years.
Jason Garrett led the Cowboys to three division titles in his nine full seasons at the helm, but they never so much as got past the divisional round with him in charge. So, Jones made a change this past offseason. The longtime GM decided to bring in veteran head coach Mike McCarthy, who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2011.
McCarthy led the Packers to nine winning seasons in 13 years as the head coach. He had the proven track record and postseason experience Jones was looking for in a new head coach, but his tenure in Dallas has gotten off to a rocky start.
The Cowboys are struggling under Mike McCarthy’s watch
Coming into the 2020-21 NFL season, the Cowboys were a popular pick among fans and experts to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Dak Prescott was steadily improving, and the front office surrounded him with arguably the best group of weapons in the league. Dallas was going to throw all over opposing defenses and put up historic offensive numbers under McCarthy.
Well, that’s exactly how it started, but Prescott’s season-ending injury in Week 5 derailed any momentum the offense had at the beginning of the season.
After Prescott’s injury, the Cowboys dropped six of their next eight games and now sit at 4-9 through Week 14. It’s easy to let McCarthy off the hook considering he lost his franchise QB five games into the year, but Dallas’ struggles reach far beyond just the quarterback position in 2020.
The Cowboys defense is giving up an atrocious 30.8 points per game this season, which is the worst mark in the NFL. The offense is only scoring 22.9 points per game, and that number is skewed because of the gaudy numbers Prescott was putting up when he was in the lineup.
The defense is embarrassing. Andy Dalton is a serviceable starting QB in this league, but McCarthy can’t get the offense to click, either. Oh, and the fake punts? Horrendous.
McCarthy deserves to be on the hot seat despite the injuries he’s had to deal with all season, but he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Cowboys VP Stephen Jones sends a clear message about McCarthy’s future
Many Cowboys fans want to see McCarthy get another shot with a healthy roster, while others believe he’s not the solution to the team’s problems. His future in Dallas seemed murky at best after a rough first season, but Executive Vice President Stephen Jones just made it clear McCarthy will be back for at least another year.
“There will be absolutely no change with Coach McCarthy,” Jones said Monday on 105.3 The Fan. “I am surprised someone would question Mike, the unprecedented situation everyone’s been in. And on top of that, no one’s making excuses, but we have had some real challenges in the injury category. If you look at his track record and his pedigree, he’s consistently won year in and year out. We have the utmost confidence that this ship is going to be righted quickly, and Mike’s going to be the leader of this group.”
