RADIO
Taking guaranteed points off the board is always an interesting decision. To be completely fair, there's a lot of pressure on his shoulders -- he's trying to win what is likely an unwinnable game with a quarterback who can barely run an NFL offense. The season is probably already in the gutter.
That doesn't free him from criticism, though. So let's break down what happened.
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The Setup
In Week 11's installment of Monday Night Football, Dallas was down 20-10, and got the ball after a Houston Texans kickoff that went through the back of the end zone for a touchback. With the game still in reach, Dallas drove methodically down the field. But the drive stalled after an offensive pass interference call on wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
After two more incomplete passes, McCarthy sent out one of the best kickers in the league, Brandon Aubrey, to kick a 64-yard field goal. Of course, he made it, because he's that good. But that's where things went wrong. Rather than take the points and get the game within one score, Big Mike decided to accept an unnecessary roughness penalty on opposing defender Derek Barnett.
That sent... quarterback Cooper Rush, Prescott's backup, back onto the field. Expecting him to drive down the field and help the team score a touchdown was interesting, considering the team's running backs hadn't done much of anything to that point. The drive stalled, and Dallas turned it over on downs.
How are you going to take a 64 yard field goal away from your kicker like that 🤦🏼♂️.
Mike McCarthy is easily one of the worst coaches in the NFL.
JERRY JONES DO SOMETHING!! SAVE THE COWBOYS
— AustinGoesViral (@AustinGoesViral) November 19, 2024
It may be a lost season, but that won't make fans any less irate, and reasonably so. To that point, the game seemed winnable, and opting to take away a guaranteed score to get the team within seven points made no sense. Momentum is real on the big stage, and there are countless examples of it swinging games wildly. Dallas' boss man should take note.
The Aftermath
McCarthy received heavy criticism for his handling of the game. There were other mistakes, like the awful fake punt that he called. Had he called a better game, the team could have retained momentum and had a much better chance at pulling off a stunning upset. Instead, his decisions all but guaranteed a loss.
Metch scores a TD one week then sniffs out a fake punt the next week. He’s Batman pic.twitter.com/w6v9EcfDLl
— Bama NFL 🦃 (@TheBamaNFL) November 19, 2024
Yes, it was a great play by Texans wideout John Metchie, but you can't run plays in the NFL expecting the opposing team's players to just let them happen, or not make a heads-up move to stymie your efforts. Houston, unlike Dallas, is an extremely well-coached team.
Mike McCarthy has once again taken the #Cowboys out of this ballgame.
-Failed to take the points to make it a 1 possession game
-Decides to fake a punt well within their own territory
-Refuses to run the football in short yardage situations
I get you’re not working with much… pic.twitter.com/ZDmB747Zjf
— Erick (@EKlambara) November 19, 2024
The above poster forgot to mention another mishap Big Mac... er, Mike made. Why not put in third-string signal-caller Trey Lance and let him get more reps? He's had so little experience at the position, and Rush isn't the long-term answer they want as a backup.
Though many Cowboys nation faithful may call him Trey Trash, as may many who have watched him toss five interceptions in a preseason game, lack of experience is generally a good reason for bad performance in the NFL. Lance is no exception. As head coach, it's McCarthy's job to develop his players. He failed at that too.
What's Next For Big Mike?
It's tough to gauge how hot the seat is for the one-time Super Bowl champion coach. His team has consistently failed in the playoffs, often embarrassingly so. Despite his and Prescott's efforts to even the gap in garbage time, everyone remembers that the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers truly beat them as No. 2 seeds 48-16 in the playoffs last season.
Green Bay keeps scoring. Love to Doubs
Packers 48
Cowboys 16— The Fantasy Source (@FantasySource_) January 15, 2024
There isn't really any coming back from this as a franchise without major changes. Unfortunately for Big D, Jerry Jones will be the owner of the team for the foreseeable future, and he could have his reasons for retaining McCarthy as his coach. It may take some time for things to improve, much to the chagrin of followers of "America's Team".
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