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The Dallas Cowboys’ Week 14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals likely served as the death knell for the team’s postseason aspirations. Even more gut wrenching for Dallas, the Cowboys didn’t just lose the game. They failed in spectacular fashion, committing an atrocious blunder on a pivotal special teams play that snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Cowboys’ collapse took place on the nationally televised stage of Monday Night Football.
Head coach Mike McCarthy’s future with the team has been widely debated in the media. But if the Cowboys are planning on making a change, they’re playing it very close to the vest.
The braintrust in Dallas has not engaged in “earnest discussions or planning” regarding replacing McCarthy, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson on X.
The Cowboys hired McCarthy in 2020 and he entered the 2024 season with three straight 12-win campaigns. But those promising seasons all ended prematurely in the playoffs as the team has gone just 1-3 with McCarthy at the helm, failing to advance beyond the Divisional round.
The coach’s record in Dallas helped to extend the Cowboys’ streak of playoff futility that includes a 5-13 postseason record dating back to the franchise’s last Super Bowl win in 1995. But while fans are used to the team falling apart at the worst possible moment, the Cowboys have generally waited until the playoffs to collapse. Now, it appears Dallas will miss the postseason altogether for the second time in McCarthy’s five seasons in charge.
Does Mike McCarthy deserve another chance with the Cowboys?
Despite the embarrassing loss on Monday night and the disastrous season overall, McCarthy has a surprising amount of support in Dallas. Owner Jerry Jones doubled down on keeping the coach beyond 2024. Franchise legend Troy Aikman believes the Cowboys will stick with McCarthy moving forward. And, importantly, Dallas’ best defender Micah Parsons backed his coach, indicating that McCarthy hasn’t lost the locker room.
Of course, Parsons appeared to be having an out-of-body experience watching the team choke away a close game on Monday, based on a clip posted by CBS' Jordan Dajani on X. He was then caught on camera leaving the game early.
Everyone has their breaking point. Opinions change quickly in the NFL and, even with the playoffs likely out of reach – Dallas is three games out of the final Wild Card berth entering Week 15 – the team’s performance over the final four games of the regular season could decide McCarthy’s fate.
Cowboys’ executive vice president Stephen Jones has hinted at a quiet offseason, signaling that the team won’t make many major changes to its personnel. While that could buy McCarthy another year in Dallas, it’s likely the team is having the same conversation next winter.
