The Dallas Cowboys aren’t fully committing to Mike McCarthy as the head coach in 2024 just yet.
After the Cowboys clinched the NFC East division title with a 38-10 victory over the Washington Commanders in the regular season finale, team owner Jerry Jones was asked about McCarthy’s future following this season. Instead of giving a resounding thumbs-up, Jones instead said that “we’ll see how each game goes” in the playoffs.
Via Clarence Hill Jr. of The Forth Worth Star-Telegram:
“When asked directly about Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys future, owner Jerry Jones said ‘we’ll see how each game goes’ in the playoffs,” wrote Hill on Sunday, January 7.
Report: Mike McCarthy’s Job With Cowboys Depends on Playoffs
The quote isn’t exactly surprising considering the report that came out just prior to the team’s game against the Commanders. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, McCarthy’s job status for the 2024 season hinges on how Dallas finishes their season in the playoffs.
“If the Cowboys play well in the postseason, McCarthy would have an excellent chance to keep his job,” Schefter wrote on Saturday, January 6. “But if they struggle and end the season with an embarrassing loss, as has happened in each of the past two years, then some say that change could come to Dallas.”
Why Cowboys’ Regular Season Success Means Nothing
The report makes sense considering the Cowboys’ lack of postseason success under McCarthy’s lead. After missing out on the playoffs during his first season in Dallas in 2020, the Cowboys have made back-to-back playoff appearances. However, they’ve lost to the San Francisco 49ers in each of those years, with the first loss coming at home in the wild card round and the most recent defeat happening in the divisional round of the playoffs.
When one factors in that Dallas hasn’t advanced to a conference championship game since the 1995 season, it’s clear that it’s become a frustrating talking point for Jones.
The Cowboys’ 2023 regular season certainly ended better than anyone thought it would. Despite starting out the season 5-3 with an upset loss to the Arizona Cardinals and a humiliating loss to the Niners, 42-10, back in October, Dallas bounced back to win the NFC East after the Philadelphia Eagles started out the year 10-1.
Furthermore, the Cowboys went undefeated at home, emerging as the only team to do so this season.
With the Cowboys clinching the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, that means they’ll host at least their first two playoff games — assuming they defeated the No. 7-seeded Green Bay Packers in the opening round — at home. Dallas has outscored and dominated their opposition at home, averaging 37.4 points per game while allowing just 15.9 points per game to opponents.
The teams that they’re most likely to face in the next round — the Detroit Lions and the Eagles — are both teams that Dallas defeated this season.
In other words, there’s no reason the Cowboys shouldn’t at least advance to the NFC Championship Game considering their home field advantage.
That means if McCarthy is to secure his job for another season, it’ll be conference championship or bust for the Cowboys in the playoffs.
If McCarthy fails to lead Dallas to a conference championship game appearance, it’s hard to envision the former Super Bowl champion head coach returning for a fifth season — especially when one considers potential big names such as Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh may emerge on the coaching market.
