Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones made it very clear Monday that Mike McCarthy will return as head coach next year.

When asked whether McCarthy would return to coach the Cowboys in 2021, Jones gave a firm stance:

This message has been consistent from the Jones' in recent weeks, even in light of the Cowboys' struggles.

Realistically, the offensive-minded McCarthy has not had the best of luck.

Dallas was dealt an early blow when veteran center Travis Frederick announced he was retiring. The offensive line saw subsequent hits through injuries to La'el Collins and Tyron Smith, with Smith done for the season after undergoing neck surgery.

Of course, the biggest blow came in Week 5, when quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome ankle injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the year.

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The Cowboys have been hard-pressed to overcome all of these injuries, particularly with backup signal-caller Andy Dalton missing each of the last two games.

But the bigger issues have come on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys rank last in defensive scoring and have been totally incapable of stopping the run.

DeMarcus Lawrence has hardly had the same kind of impact as last season, and the front seven took an additional hit due to Leighton Vander Esch's early-season injury.

The Cowboys were in position to upset the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but the defense failed to hold a late lead as Ben Roethlisberger picked the secondary apart and the offense couldn't respond.

It has been yet another frustrating season for Cowboys fans, but the 2-7 record does not tell the whole story when it comes to McCarthy's first year in charge.