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The Dallas Cowboys have had Mike McCarthy at the helm since the start of the 2020 season. After a 6-10 season in his first year, he followed up with a pair of 12-5 years that included back-to-back postseason losses to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Cowboys were within reach of their longtime rivals in both of those defeats, losing by six points in 2021 and seven points to conclude last season. As owner Jerry Jones assessed his team going into the current season, he was not bothered by those two defeats. Why? Because he was under the belief that things would be different in 2023 and the Cowboys would have the best team in the NFC and would have an excellent chance at representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Through the season’s first five weeks, Jones is no longer happy with what he has seen from his team. The Cowboys have incredibly talented personnel on both sides of the ball, with the ability to dominate on defense the way few teams have.
Meltdown in the desert
However, the explosive Cowboys were beaten 28-16 by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. The Cardinals came into the season with the least talented personnel in the league. It was inexplicable that the Cardinals jumped all over the Cowboys and had a 9-0 first-quarter lead and stretched it to 21-10 at halftime.
The Cowboys were overconfident going into the desert and simply overlooked their opponent. Dallas committed 13 penalties during the game and quarterback Dak Prescott called it a humbling loss.
Two weeks later, the Cowboys faced a real regular-season challenge from the 49ers. Unlike the Cardinals, this team had McCarthy’s full attention and the hype before the game was a comparison with the old rivalry between the two teams that included the battles between Troy Aikman and Steve Young. The Cowboys were apparently longing for the battle.
Major butt-whipping by the Bay
At least they were until the game kicked off and the 49ers overwhelmed them in every area. Despite having the most talented defense in the league, Niner quarterback Brock Purdy made them look silly with 252 passing yards and a 4-0 TD-interception ratio. Tight end George Kittle had no trouble getting open and he had 3 TD receptions – including 2 in the red zone.
“We were going up against the best defense in the league,” explained Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, via Josh Dubow of The Associated Press. “We passed that test with flying colors. That felt really good, but we know it was only Week 5 and there are more tests to come.”
On the other hand, there were nothing but long faces in the Dallas locker room. Both Prescott and linebacker Micah Parsons acknowledged getting punched in the mouth. Great fighters get hit with hard punches against other elite combatants, but they find a way to deliver their own blows and will deliver a knockout punch at the most crucial moment.
McCarthy’s team had no response. His team’s preparation was simply brutal, and one AFC executive saw the simplicity of it.
“It was as if the Cowboys thought there would be no response from the 49ers and they thought they would see little resistance. You have to come up with a plan that includes counter moves and the Cowboys did not do that.”
You have to wonder how much more Jones has to see. The Cowboys overlooked the worst team in the league and were ill-prepared against one of the best teams in the league. The lack of preparation was shocking in both cases.
Could Kyle Shanahan be a better coach than his father?
There is a strong history of sons following their fathers when it comes to coaching in the NFL. While this could easily fall under the umbrella of nepotism, the NFL is a “What have you done for me lately?” kind of business.
The progeny of NFL coaches will not be able to hold onto their jobs at the head coaching level if they don’t win. Sean McVay has a Super Bowl title to his credit, something his grandfather John McVay never came close to in his head coaching career with the New York Giants.
Remembering the infamous John McVay
The elder McVay was the coach of the Giants from 1976 through ’78, and he was on the sideline when QB Joe Pisarcik attempted to hand the ball off to Larry Csonka and the resulting fumble resulted in a Herman Edwards TD, an Eagles victory and the infamous Miracle at the Meadowlands.
It was relatively easy for Sean McVay to exceed his elder’s level of achievement, but Kyle Shanahan will have to go quite a long way to surpass his father.
Mike Shanahan's resume
Mike Shanahan was a brilliant head coach who led the Denver Broncos to 2 Super Bowl championships. Mike Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers when quarterback John Elway successfully recruited him to be the Broncos sideline leader in 1995.
Shanahan won Super Bowls in back-to-back seasons in 1997 and 1998 and coached the Broncos through the 2008 season. He also coached Washington from 2010 through 2013. The elder Shanahan is not in the Hall of Fame, but he could be at a certain point.
Kyle Shanahan has been to the Super Bowl and his team nearly beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in the 2019 season. If the first 5 weeks are any indication, he has an excellent chance of taking his team back to the Super Bowl this season.
While Mike Shanahan was probably the best offensive coach of his generation, Kyle Shanahan may have had one big advantage over his father. It’s not a strategic advantage because that’s where Mike was at his best.
Niners have a strong locker room
It is his overall demeanor. Kyle Shanahan is a much easier man to play for. He does not ratchet up the pressure on his players the way his father did. He knows how to keep more of an even keel and is less likely to lose his cool after major player mistakes or losses. He puts his players in a position to succeed.
“That's really what it comes down to — timing and preparation and understanding what works against defenses and what your players can do vs. those defenses,” Shanahan said.
New England head coach Bill Belichick explained the difference between the father and the son, via Hayden Bird of Boston.com.
“Kyle’s done a great job of taking the skills of his players and maximizing them and utilizing them in ways where they’re effective. So, that’s different than the players that Mike had at Denver, obviously.”
The younger Shanahan saw how his father reacted to major pressure situations and does not fall into the same traps.
He won’t be able to get the best of his father until he earns a couple of Super Bowl titles. But his personality is far better for the current generation, and it helps him get the most out of his players.
This and that
— Mac Jones is coming off a miserable outing against the Saints, where he finished 12 for 22 for 110 yards and a pair of interceptions. He was benched in the second half for the second consecutive week in favor of Bailey Zappe.
New England offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien said Jones will remain at quarterback this week against the Raiders, via Hayden Bird.
“There’s no time for mental breaks,” O’Brien said. “In order to be in this league, as a coach, as a player, as anybody in this league, you have to be mentally tough. There’s a grind that goes to the league. It’s a 17-week grind. We all have to be mentally tough.”
— Nobody will be happier to see Austin Ekeler (ankle) return to the Chargers lineup than quarterback Justin Herbert. The signal-caller has a fractured left middle finger he suffered in Week 4 against the Raiders, and he is wearing both a wrap on his finger and a protective glove on his left hand.
Ekeler can take much of the pressure off of Herbert with his aggressive running style.
— The Giants face a potential disaster this week against the Bills. Quarterback Daniel Jones is optimistic he can play despite a neck injury, but the team may be better off with a healthy Tyrod Taylor in the lineup.
Taylor would also be under the gun given the state of the Giants offensive line. But he is more likely to survive a confrontation with an angry Buffalo defense – the Bills are coming off a loss overseas to the Jaguars – than the less-than-healthy Jones.
