The Dallas Cowboys can win the NFC East on Sunday, but head coach Mike McCarthy’s career appears to be in jeopardy. Dallas is preparing for their third playoff season under McCarthy, but they have only one playoffs victory in the last two years.
The Cowboys may not be committed to McCarthy in 2024, according to ESPN writer Adam Schefter. While the latest from Schefter does not explicitly state that McCarthy is coaching for his job, Dallas may let McCarthy go if he suffers a significant defeat in the playoffs.
“There continues to be a feeling from people around the league, and even some within the Cowboys organization, that coach Mike McCarthy will be measured by how Dallas’ final game goes,” Schefter said in a January 6 article. “If the Cowboys perform well in the postseason, McCarthy has a good chance of keeping his job.” However, if they struggle and conclude the season with a humiliating loss, like they have the last two years, some believe that change may be on the way in Dallas.”
Under McCarthy, the Cowboys have gone 1-2 in the playoffs. Both losses came against the San Francisco 49ers, who defeated Dallas 42-10 earlier this season and will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC this year.
Whether or if McCarthy comes through in the playoffs, the Cowboys may be ready to break ways with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Quinn is having another strong season and may be ready to take over as head coach.
The former Atlanta Falcons coach may also remain in Dallas. However, Schefter suggests that it may be as a coordinator or head coach.
“However, it’s unclear how long that will last and whether Dallas can entice him back for another season, which could influence any decisions this team makes.” According to sources, the Cowboys do not want to lose Quinn, and there are doubts about what Dallas might be prepared to do to keep him,” Schefter reported.
Under Quinn, Dallas has become one of the NFL’s most dynamic defenses over the last three years. Keeping him is perhaps just as critical as determining who will take over as head coach.
On paper, the Cowboys’ trip to the Washington Commanders should be a foregone conclusion. Washington is 4-12 on the season and suffered a 45-10 loss to Dallas earlier this season. However, this is a circumstance similar to the end of the 2022 season, which ended horribly for the Cowboys.
Dallas needed to beat Washington on the road to give themselves a chance to win the NFC East at the end of last year. Instead of winning, they were defeated by a score of 26-6.
The Cowboys overcame their playoff adversity by defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the next week. However, losing to an underperforming division competitor at the end of the year is painful no matter how you slice it.