Even in the weirdest NFL offseason in living memory, here’s one of the more surreal notions, one that could never have been imagined even just a few short months ago: The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys is doing the job from his home… in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Mike McCarthy, who spent the entire 2019 season bunkered in with his family and strategizing pretend gameplans with a collection of former assistants, was hired and introduced- in person– at the Star in Frisco in January. But the shuttering of team facilities and stay-at-home guidelines in the wake of COVID-19 meant that the man trying to lead the Cowboys to their next Lombardi Trophy would have to start that journey within the shadows of Lambeau Field.
“I have been with my family the whole time, except for maybe the first 10 days of the pandemic,” McCarthy said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters.
While the longtime coach is eager to get back on a field with real football players, his job thus far has involved overseeing preparations rather than actual practices.
“We’ve really just hunkered down and tried to focus on the things we can control,” he went on. “And as a staff, we’re planning for a full training camp and we’re also planning for a training camp in Oxnard, we’re planning for a training camp in Frisco. We spent an enormous amount of time in the planning phase because it is our first camp together.”
Mike McCarthy is on a call with DFW right now. He says the Cowboys' coaching staff is anticipating a full training camp, and they're planning out situations in both Oxnard & Frisco.
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) May 27, 2020
But, as is the case with everyone else working from home, that planning phase has relied heavily on virtual meetings and internet technology. And, as has been the case with most, there have been limitations, making it anything but business as usual.
McCarthy has yet to physically stand in front of the entire Cowboys team, and he joked that he doesn’t even have the setup for “90 boxes” on his at-home computer screen. As a coach in his first year with a new team, McCarthy should have gotten a one-week head start in live meetings and practice sessions with his staff and roster under normal circumstances. That bonus time was lost to the virus, but even now, McCarthy is reluctant to say he’s behind schedule, possibly because every coaching staff around the league is suddenly in the same boat.
“You really don’t have a true comparable, the 56-year-old McCarthy said. “But I think it’s obvious to think if we started April 6 like we normally would as a first-year program, we would be in a different spot than we are here today.”
Mike McCarthy on the virtual meetings: "We've just really been emphasizing the importance, from a football perspective, on scheme, communication, making sure they have a clear vision of the job responsibility. … I'm pleased with the amount of work we've been able to accomplish."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 27, 2020
The coaching staff started by meeting first with players in small positional groups, with a focus on terminology and overall philosophy. McCarthy has been touching base on a nightly basis with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to decide how much to throw at the players in the virtual classroom setting. Full offensive and defensive meetings only got underway this week to start putting those individual pieces together into a cohesive system.
To be sure, this 2020 method is not the traditional way of installing a playbook.
“We just kind of flipped some things and the order of how we would normally do them,” McCarthy offered. “It was more done with a focus on productivity, not just the detail but also get the volume of what we want to get done. Because our volume is obviously higher than a normal year because it’s our first year. That’s why we went with that approach.”
A large volume of new Xs and Os, delivered in a compressed timeframe and during highly unusual days where everything is more difficult than it should be. It’s a big ask. McCarthy credits his roster of guys already in Dallas with making it possible.
“I am excited because this is probably going to be the most experienced team that I’ve coached, so we’ll rely on that,” McCarthy said. “I think if we were going to push to one side or the other, we’d definitely push on the side of the volume because of our veteran experience.”
When faced with uncertainty, people with experience tend to prepare themselves for everything… because they know anything can happen.
“This challenge has clearly made everyone- especially myself- take a step back,” the coach went on. “Don’t react as fast as you may have in normal times. I think you’ve really got to trust your instincts, the awareness and your experience in this particular time as far as how we install and initiate the development and growth of our program.”
While the league is moving toward allowing teams to start in-person practicing again, it’s still a game of wait-and-see. So McCarthy’s coaching-from-home stint goes on at least a little while longer. The rest of the world may be sick and tired of self-isolating after two months and change; McCarthy’s been doing it now for almost a year and half.
“I think we’ve all been taught a whole different level of patience,” McCarthy said. “I’m anxious to get back, frankly. My family is probably anxious for me to get back… It’s time, I know, for me to get back. I spend a lot of time looking into a camera and talking. I am ready to get back and get to work in person.”
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