Once again, the Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoffs early, and Mike McCarthy has to go.
Another year, another heartbreaking Dallas Cowboys playoff loss The Cowboys lost 48-32 on Sunday despite having a game against the Green Bay Packers at home that appeared to be favorable. And in an instant, a season full of promise came to an abrupt end, forcing Dallas to start over from scratch.
The Cowboys were expected to come together in 2023, and for the majority of the regular season, that seemed to be the case. Dallas finished with a 12-5 record for the third consecutive year, but this time they were able to win the NFC East, giving them the second seed in the postseason. Their defense was a turnover machine, and their offense had one of the deepest lineups in the league.
However, it was all for naught as the Cowboys were completely destroyed by the Packers, who coincidentally are the former team of head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy’s employment status is uncertain after another disappointing postseason run, so let’s look at three reasons Dallas needs to let go of McCarthy and fire him this offseason.
The Cowboys are not responding well to Mike McCarthy’s message.
As was already mentioned, the Cowboys were dominant for a large portion of the regular season. Their defense lacked any real weak points, and their offense was moving the ball up and down the field at will. Dallas has not fared well in the playoffs lately, but this seemed like the season to break that pattern. Rather, they fell short, and in the end, McCarthy must take the brunt of the blame.
With good reason, the Cowboys were the overwhelming favorite going into their game against the Packers. While Green Bay just about made it into the postseason as the seven seed in the NFC, Dallas was able to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles and win the NFC East. But in the NFL, there are never any easy games, and you can never afford to underestimate your opponents.
That’s precisely what the Cowboys did, and as a result, their season is now over. Though the Packers played well, not many would contest that they have a more talented roster than the other team. McCarthy’s message, whatever it was, did not strike a chord with this team to keep them focused. Although this isn’t the first time a McCarthy-led squad has experienced this, it ought to be the last.
The Cowboys have a number of excellent alternatives for replacements.
Finding a replacement after firing a head coach is a necessary step, and formerly empty head coaching ranks now include some well-known figures. Finding a new head coach can be challenging, but if Dallas decides to move on from McCarthy, they have a number of well-known prospects to choose from.
One of the more intriguing head coaching candidates who is available is Mike Vrabel after he was fired by the Tennessee Titans last week. Vrabel did a lot of good work with a less-talented Titans roster, and he could be what Dallas needs to become a true title contender. Also worth noting is that Jim Harbaugh, who just led the Michigan Wolverines to a National Championship, is taking NFL head coaching interviews, so he’s obviously somebody to keep an eye on.
Bill Belichick, whose 24-year tenure with the New England Patriots came to an end, is the most well-known player among them all. The Cowboys want to win a championship, and Belichick has established himself with postseason victories. Though there is still much to be done, Belichick could prove to be a significant improvement for the team going forward if McCarthy is fired.
McCarthy has made the exact mistake of underperforming in the playoffs, which is the simplest way to get fired from Dallas. This loss to the Packers could be the tipping point for them after they were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers in their previous two road games. In the two previous meetings, Dallas could at least somewhat justify losing to San Francisco; with Green Bay, that’s much more difficult to do.
In each of these instances, the Cowboys have crumbled in the spotlight. In 2021, they fell behind to the Niners 23-7 before a late rally came up short. In 2022, their offense scored just 12 points, throwing away a game in which their defense held San Fran to 19 points on the other end. And then on Sunday, the Cowboys defense allowed 48 points, while their offense tacked on a few garbage-time scores to make the game look closer than it actually was.
While it is true that the players must perform on the field, the head coach’s gameplans must eventually be questioned. McCarthy hasn’t been creative enough on offense, which is his calling card, to consistently score points on the biggest stage; his defensive strategy against Green Bay was appalling. It’s time to find someone else to take over and see if they can accomplish what McCarthy cannot since he has had his chance to show that he can create a winning team in Dallas, but his ineptitude in the postseason is holding the team back.