Tag: Mike McCarthy

Week Six was doomsday for Dallas Cowboys against Detroit Lions

The Lions destroyed the Cowboys in Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys entered Week Six ready for a big game against the Detroit Lions.

The problem is they weren’t ready for the game or the Lions.

The final score was Detroit 47, Dallas 9.

The Cowboys are 0-3 at home and 3-3 overall heading into their bye week.

Sunday was Jerry Jones’ birthday. Mike McCarthy might not want to offer him birthday wishes after the way the game played out.

The Lions used every trick in the playbook against an injury-riddled Dallas defense. Still, allowing 47 points on the road is beyond putrid. It was the second-most points Detroit scored in a road game to 52 points at Green Bay in 1952.

The Lions forced five turnovers, including three interceptions. Each team had 65 plays: the Lions wound up with 492 yards of offense to Dallas’ 251,

The Cowboys have lost four in a row at home. factoring in the 48-32 playoff disaster that ended last season. They have been outscored 167-85 in those games.

There is big trouble in Dallas. The bye week bears watching.

Will Jerry Jones fire Mike McCarthy during Cowboys bye week after embarrassing loss?

The Cowboys were obliterated at home for the third time this season, and the question must be asked if Mike McCarthy is capable of fixing it. | From @KDDrummondNFL

There’s a serious problem in Dallas, and it’s not all about injuries even though there are a mountain of them. On Jerry Jones’ birthday, his 82nd, he “celebrated” by watching them get blown out in a non-competitive home first half for the fourth time in a row. The Cowboys entered the locker room down 27-6 to the Detroit Lions, en route to a 47-9 demolishing.

The loss dropped Dallas to 0-3 at home on the season, and the open mics from the game were littered with audible chants from Lions fans who made the trek to Dallas to watch a championship caliber team. The Cowboys are woefully injured, but that wasn’t the case in the previous losses, so it’s difficult to allow that to be an excuse for this putrid performance.

It’s more difficult not to consider that the team has no future under head coach Mike McCarthy. Will Jerry Jones consider firing him?

It may seem drastic, but one thing about the NFL is it’s a copycat league. With the Jets waving goodbye to Robert Saleh this week, perhaps the fever will spread down south.

Dallas gave up 47 points, the most since a 49-38 Week 4 loss during the 2020 COVID season. The 38-point loss ties the largest recent deficit in a defeat in team history. That loss? Week 9 in 2010; i.e. the game that got Wade Phillips fired.

The Cowboys haven’t been ready to play in any way, shape or form in a building where they, for 16 straight games, exerted their will against opponents. Their offensive line can’t run block nor pass protect, and they are in Year 2 under a McCarthy hire, Mike Solari. In fact, Dallas benched their first-round pick, Tyler Guyton, for this game.

The result? Prescott was pressured 20+ times, sacked four times among 11 QB hits.

Aside from CeeDee Lamb (7 receptions, 89 yards), there’s no skill position player on offense capable of regularly creating separation, much less scaring the defense, which leads to Lamb getting double teamed. They certainly aren’t being schemed open.

On defense, there’s certainly something to be said for the totem of injured stars, but in an honest moment, they weren’t playing up to par before they were sent to the sidelines.

That 180 degree turn, started with everything on the line in the wild-card game in January, falls on the coach. A few years ago, Dallas was embarrassed in the playoffs in a game against San Francisco and the head coach admitted they were nervous. In front of their home fans, they’ve tucked their tails repeatedly in 2024 and one has to wonder whether a change will be made.

In the final year of his contract, McCarthy had led the Cowboys to three consecutive 12-win seasons. After the loss to the Packers, there were some who thought Jones would pull the plug on McCarthy at that point, but he returned with a final chance to salvage his stint.

Through six weeks, there’s been no sign of such.

Firing a coach midseason isn’t something Jones considers often. When he relieved Phillips his chosen coach-in-waiting was already in the building in Jason Garrett. That doesn’t seem to be the case at this point, but there may be some considerations in the helicopter this week.

Potential interim coaches could include Mike Zimmer, who has head coaching experience with eight years at the helm in Minnesota. Also to be considered would be special teams coach John Fassel.

The biggest consideration though is that since McCarthy calls the offense he’s designed, someone would have to take over those duties as well. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer would likely ascend to those responsibilities if McCarthy was shown the exit.

If he’s given a chance to save the season, McCarthy will have to spend the bye week fixing a myriad of issues that plague the entire team. And there may not be a win coming in the games that follow. Dallas is at San Francisco, at Atlanta, then home again for back-to-back games against the rival Eagles and in-state rival Texans.

Cowboys could be looking at their next HC in Detroit’s Ben Johnson

The Cowboys may be looking for a new HC in 2025 and Ben Johnson is a top option. HIs AT&T audition is set for Sunday. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys might be getting a sneak peek at their next head coach when the Lions come to Dallas on Sunday. Week 6 doesn’t just offer a matchup of NFC playoff hopefuls, but it also delivers them a firsthand audition of the hottest coordinator in the NFL.

Ben Johnson, Detroit’s highly productive offensive coordinator, has fast become one of the most respected offensive minds in the NFL. He’s also a coveted head coach candidate who will likely headline a 2025 list of coaching prospects that includes the likes of Bill Belichick, Bobby Slowik and Mike Vrabel.

What Johnson lacks in experience he makes up for play design and innovation. After taking over their offense in 2022, Johnson elevated the Lions from 24th to sixth (in EPA) in his first season. He did so by simplifying reads for his quarterback, using heavy motion at the snap and mixing in play-action and RPOs along the way. While not a true disciple of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, Johnson uses many of the same cheat codes that have been known to elevate offensive performance.

The Cowboys just so happen to be stumbling through the 2024 season with their entire coaching staff on expiring deals. After Mike McCarthy and company failed to get team over the proverbial playoff hump, they are a franchise positioned to reset in the leadership ranks. No one can definitively say what the future holds for McCarthy, but it stands to reason Johnson is a top a candidate to replace him as the Cowboys sit uncommitted.

The Cowboys seem to favor coaches with head coaching experience but aren’t necessarily married to it. Jason Garrett was a first time NFL head coach with Dallas, as was Dave Campo and Chan Gailey. Jerry Jones typically hires offensive minded coaches which gives someone like Johnson a leg up on candidates like Belichick and Vrabel.

In 2024 Johnson, once again, has his Lions offense sitting in the top five. They are an offense built around their line that features a well-balanced attack. They look for ways to open up their top receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown downfield and they make regular use of their stud tight end Sam LaPorta.

With CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys also have an elite WR in their ranks. They have a weaponized TE in Jake Ferguson and while their offensive line remains a work in progress, they are probably only a year of two behind Detroit in their development and degree of dominance.

The Lions are a far more talented offense, but the similarities are there and with Dak Prescott locked in for the foreseeable future, Dallas should be an attractive destination for an offensive head coach who could potentially have his pick of jobs this winter.

What Johnson has done for Jared Goff has been stunning. Thrown in as a salary dump of sorts in the Matthew Stafford trade, Goff wasn’t expected to be a long-term answer at the QB in Detroit, yet under Johnson, Goff has turned into a highly effective weapon. It’s tantalizing to think about what Johnson could do with someone like Prescott.

It’s safe to say the Joneses have a pretty good idea what the future hold for McCarthy. They likely have their eyes on a few possible replacements this season and it’s a pretty safe bet Johnson is one of those. On Sunday afternoon they get a firsthand look at that candidate, all from the comfort of the owner’s suite. It’s a perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss is about.

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Cowboys finally learning the tricks to unlocking this obvious weapon

The Cowboys used KaVontae Turpin more than they’ve used him all season, and in ways that actually help. | From @ReidDHanson

From the moment KaVontae Turpin arrived in Dallas back in 2022, fans have been looking for ways to get him the ball. The former USFL MVP has the kind of speed, explosiveness and athleticism that can’t be taught. A receiver in name but a return man by trade, Turpin has carved out quite the reputation in the two plus seasons he’s been with the Cowboys.

Making the Pro Bowl as a rookie, the 5-foot-9, 153-pound human water bug became a player opposing teams tried to avoid. By his second season Turpin saw his returnable punts drop from 29 to 13 and his kick returns go from 21 to just 10. It’s a trend that continues in 2024 with Turpin not logging a single returnable punt since Week 1 and posting a total of just two kick returns through the first four weeks of play.

Teams have been avoiding Turpin for fairly obvious reasons and the Cowboys haven’t figured out a way to forcibly insert their fastest player back into the game plan. Until now, that is.

In Week 5 against the Steelers, Mike McCarthy finally problem solved the situation. The Cowboys removed co-return man Juanyeh Thomas from the equation and left Turpin back to field kickoffs alone. It only offered him one return on the day but even that was a welcomed sight given he hadn’t had one opportunity the two games prior. For anyone wondering, he’s now averaging 35.67 yards per kick return, far above league average and greater than the value of a touchback.

McCarthy has also given him extra opportunities on offense. While it’s likely Brandin Cooks’ injury played a big part in the decision, seeing Turpin on offense was a welcomed sight regardless. Turpin logged 22 snaps on offense for Dallas, which marked a season high. His five targets downfield and four receptions were also season highs. He took a six-yard loss on his only rushing attempt but much like a cruddy Christmas gift from loved ones, it was the thought that counts.

Using Turpin as a receiver gives him the best opportunity to create magic in space. And using him as a rusher once or twice a game will force opponents to respect the horizonal motion that typically goes with a Turpin run.

It’s what fans and media have been begging for, for quite some time. Problem solve the kick returns. Create horizonal motion on offense. Use Turpin as a runner and as a run-action decoy. And get Turpin the ball down field.

For at least one week, Turpin has been maximized on the Cowboys. Whether Week 5 was an anomaly or a sign of more things to come is anyone’s guess, but McCarthy has been rewarded for using his diminutive dynamo so the hope is it will all continue.

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Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy snaps at reporter’s question on player post-game comments

From @ToddBrock24f7: The coach got nasty when one reporter asked how he would incorporate key issues brought up by his players into a short week of practice.

The Cowboys are three games into their season. The last two have been embarrassing losses at home where players’ effort has been a major storyline.

And the cracks are already starting to show.

Head coach Mike McCarthy got downright testy with one of the reporters in the media pool during his Monday press conference. The exchange spotlighted just how frustrated everyone is around The Star after a 28-25 loss to Baltimore dropped the club to 1-2, the Cowboys’ worst start since 2020.

Several Cowboys players, including Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jourdan Lewis, and Dak Prescott have offered up their own takes on a current problem that seems to go beyond simple Xs and Os. But when Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter Nick Harris asked the coach how he might address such concerns in an already short week of practice, McCarthy chose to get nasty and sarcastic.

“Pretty dramatic there, Nick,” McCarthy snapped from the podium.

“I tell you, you must practice that one,” he added before finishing with a showy grimace and an exaggerated “Geez…”

https://twitter.com/WhatGoingDowney/status/1838343378976547224

McCarthy frequently hints at his distaste with all the Q&A obligations that come with his job and occasionally bristles with media members over certain lines of questioning, but this seemed uncharacteristic.

McCarthy caught some flak in January 2023 after he appeared to shove a cameraman in the moments after the Cowboys’ 19-12 playoff loss to San Francisco. The videographer, from NBC 5 in Dallas said the stiff-arm to his camera lens wasn’t as forceful as it looked; McCarthy later met with him to apologize.

After his initial barb directed at Harris on Monday, McCarthy appeared to relent somewhat. But the rest of his response was a meandering word salad that didn’t include much of anything resembling an actual answer:

“Well, hey, Thursday’s schedule. I mean, that’s what we’re on. I mean, we didn’t win the game. So, I think that’s part of where we are. So, yeah. I think they do a good job of answering your questions. It’s emotional after the game, so I’m not ever going to referee emotion on the field or after a game.”

None of that answers Harris’s completely fair, respectful, and legitimate query about how the coaching staff works those kinds of big-ticket issues that the players are already bringing up into a short week of prep.

It wasn’t an inappropriate gotcha kind of ambush from Harris, who, until just a few weeks ago, was a team employee writing for dallascowboys.com, and it in no way warranted McCarthy treating it as such.

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Several other reporters had already asked about various players’ comments and the team’s reaction. McCarthy explained that “What needed to be said has been said, and we’re on to the Giants,” but he declined to elaborate on what that meant, saying “This isn’t show-and-tell.”

The coach (not to mention his entire staff) is reportedly working this season with no contract in place for next year, so tensions will undoubtedly- and understandably- be high with every misstep the club makes on the field. But his calling out Harris in front of the rest of the media pool was an over-the-top response that seemed genuinely odd under the circumstances.

Is McCarthy feeling the pinch of a short week of practice for a divisional opponent? Sure. Is he frustrated by the team’s poor performance the past two weeks? Clearly. Would he prefer not to get questions about his own players complaining about basic things like effort and details and teammates doing their jobs? Absolutely. Has the pressure been turned up around the facility with a second straight loss? Apparently.

Well, the coach just changed the narrative. By impatiently biting the head off an experienced reporter doing his job and suggesting that his question was somehow over the line, McCarthy has ensured that people will also be talking about that now… in addition to trying to pinpoint what’s wrong with the Cowboys on the field.

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The Forgotten Play: This unremarkable Mike McCarthy decision cost Cowboys vs Ravens

The comeback was furious but all for naught. If Dallas made a different decision in the third quarter, it might not have been. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys were terrible for about 50 minutes on Sunday afternoon. The final score reads 28-25, but about one-third through the fourth quarter, Dallas regained possession of the ball trailing by 22 points. They went on a furious rally, outscoring the Baltimore Ravens 19-0 in the period, but it was too little, too late.

The Ravens were able to convert two new sets of downs on the final drive after the Cowboys had cut it to three and from there Baltimore bled out the clock to secure the victory. Three touchdown drives and a converted onside kick made things close, but could things have been even more contested?

The Cowboys bypassed an opportunity to put three points on the board when they were being blown out, and they ended up losing by three points.

During the third quarter, Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy made a safe decision when momentum wasn’t on his team’s side. In retrospect, a different decision may have put the Cowboys in a much better position late in the game.

Trailing 21-6 at the half, the Cowboys defense took the field after the break but still wasn’t able to corral the Ravens’ rushing attack. Derrick Henry raced for 26 of his 151 ground yards and getting into the end zone for a 28-6 lead.

Dallas took the ball back at their 29 with 11:58 remaining in the third quarter and marched into Baltimore territory before the drive bogged down. A Tyler Guyton hold on 1st-and-10 from the Ravens’ 29 effectively killed the drive. On 3rd-and-18, Prescott took a sack for a loss of 11 yards, pushing them back to the Baltimore 48.

Dallas decided to punt and the Ravens started a new drive at their own 11.

Why didn’t Dallas try for a field goal there? Earlier in the game, superstar kicker Brandon Aubrey nailed a 65-yarder with room to spare, kicking from just one-yard shy of the NFL record. Why wouldn’t McCarthy give Aubrey a chance to set the all-time record and inch a little closer?

Sure, at the time the game felt out of reach and the decision was almost assuredly from the perspective of Dallas needing a big play to get back in the game. Kicking the ball deep to pin the Ravens means a turnover gets possession deeper in enemy territory.

But if Dallas had kicked and made the field goal, everything about their fourth-quarter comeback changes. When Dallas scored their first fourth-quarter TD, the game is 28-15 with the extra point try coming.

ESPN’s fourth-down bot says that in as close a call as can be, punting the right choice; but it was an insignificant difference and one that doesn’t take Aubrey into account.

Aubrey definitely has a better than 25% chance of nailing the 67-yard field goal that is listed above, so with consideration for the Dallas talent, that would certainly have a bigger impact on Win Probability than the cookie-cutter wash shown above.

Dallas should’ve sent Aubrey onto the field, and the end of the game may have turned out differently.

It’s time for McCarthy to make this serious change to Cowboys offense

it might be time for Mike McCarthy to better embrace his West Coast offense’s roots

When Mike McCarthy first came to Dallas it was seen as an instant boost for the Cowboys offense. In addition to have coached three of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, McCarthy was regarded as a guru of the famous West Coast offense. The West Coast offense, or WCO, is an offensive attack conceived by Bill Walsh in Cincinnati in the 1970s, popularized in San Francisco in the 1980s, and eventually canonized by the many branches of the Walsh coaching tree in the years since.

McCarthy, hailing from that very Walsh coaching tree, was set to bring the WCO offense to the Cowboys. It was said he would merge his famous attack with the preexisting Air Coryell offense being run by holdover Kellen Moore. For years there was comprise between the two brands, but after Moore was allowed to seek other outside opportunities in 2023, it’s been the McCarthy show in Dallas.

With McCarthy alone at the helm things have predictably moved in the direction of passing. The WCO is an offense designed to move away from the run-heavy approach of yesteryear. It replaces many of the runs typically associated with the Air Coryell and replaces them with short horizontal passes in space. When game situations and box counts call for it, there are still runs, but the short passing game essentially takes the place of the running game. Given all that, it’s not surprising to see the Cowboys passing at a rate over expected these days

It’s neither a secret nor surprising to see the Cowboys struggling to rush the ball in 2024. Not only did they piece together a running back group with retreads and complementary players, but they replaced two-fifths of the offensive line with rookies. Through two games the Cowboys’ leading rusher has just 56 yards with the most efficient rusher averaging just 3.7 yards/carry. It’s so bleak the No. 3 RB, Deuce Vaughn is actually leading the unit in missed tackles forced and in yards after contact/attempt.

As a team the Cowboys are rushing the ball with a success rate (SR) of just 37 percent this season. That means on 63 percent of rushing attempts the Cowboys were in better shape before the play than they were after the play. Specifically, Ezekiel Elliott is contributing a 31.3% SR while Rico Dowdle is averaging 46.7% SR. If there’s ever been a time to truly embrace the WCO it’s now.

More high percentage short passes on early downs could effectively replace a portion of the Cowboys’ rushing attempts. Granted, receivers Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and KaVonate Turpin aren’t exactly begging for more opportunities with the ball, but since they’re ascending players who offer a little more juice in space, they are options worth exploring.

The Cowboys are in a tough spot right now. They don’t want to become so one dimensional they are predictable, but they also don’t want to keep doing something that clearly isn’t working all in the name of balance.

The WCO is just another tool on McCarthy’s toolbelt. The Cowboys are already more pass-heavy than most NFL teams, so this isn’t a call for wild changes but rather a continued shift.

Early downs especially should shift away from the running game since far too often they lead to obvious passing situations on third down. These third-down passing situations typically call for Dak Prescott to spend more time in the pocket since the ball needs to get beyond the sticks. That means more pressure on Terence Steele and Tyler Guyton to maintain blocks on the edge which is not something anyone wants.

The Cowboys don’t need wholesale changes on offense, but they need some changes. It might be time for McCarthy to go full West Coast offense on this Cowboys team.

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How to buy Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints NFL Week 2 tickets

Tickets are now available for the #Cowboys home opener against the #Saints. Get yours before they’re gone:

The Dallas Cowboys will finally host their first game of the 2024 NFL season at AT&T Stadium in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints.

Regardless of any result prior to your first game at home, teams in the NFL want to make their backyard a fortress. This is the Cowboys’ first opportunity to establish that.

After both the Saints and the Cowboys thrashed their Week-1 opponents, this Week-2 game has a bit more intrigue than originally anticipated, and only limited tickets remain.

SHOP: New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys tickets

The matchup with the Saints is the Cowboys’ first home affair in what is building up to be a pivotal season. Can quarterback Dak Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy convince owner Jerry Jones they can lead the Cowboys to the promised land?

The Cowboys’ best chance to do that is by building a strong home-field advantage. Can Dallas do that against New Orleans in a battle of early-season undefeateds? Tickets for this contest start as low as $73.

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How to buy Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints NFL Week 2 tickets

Tickets are now available for the #Cowboys home opener against the #Saints. Get yours before they’re gone:

The Dallas Cowboys will finally host their first game of the 2024 NFL season at AT&T Stadium in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints.

Regardless of any result prior to your first game at home, teams in the NFL want to make their backyard a fortress. This is the Cowboys’ first opportunity to establish that.

After both the Saints and the Cowboys thrashed their Week-1 opponents, this Week-2 game has a bit more intrigue than originally anticipated, and only limited tickets remain.

SHOP: New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys tickets

The matchup with the Saints is the Cowboys’ first home affair in what is building up to be a pivotal season. Can quarterback Dak Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy convince owner Jerry Jones they can lead the Cowboys to the promised land?

The Cowboys’ best chance to do that is by building a strong home-field advantage. Can Dallas do that against New Orleans in a battle of early-season undefeateds? Tickets for this contest start as low as $73.

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If We’re Being Honest: Cowboys offense was actually awful for half of Week 1 win

From @ToddBrock24f7: It was all smiles after Dallas’ 33-17 win, but a closer look at the stats shows that the offense has a lot to clean up before Week 2.

There’s always something to clean up in football, always some aspect of the game that can be improved upon, no matter how good the performance.

And despite a 33-17 drubbing of the Cleveland Browns which didn’t seem even that close for most of the opening-day afternoon, that has indeed been a common thread among Cowboys coaches and players since their Week 1 meeting went final.

Most experts were split before the game on who would emerge victorious. The close contest that had been so anticipated that it earned “Game of the Week” status, however, became a laugher long before halftime.

The Dallas offense and their two newly-signed superstars had blown the doors off the vaunted Browns defense, while the revamped Cowboys D under Mike Zimmer had embarrassed a pathetic Cleveland offense. That was the story in the aftermath of Sunday’s win.

Cowboys Nation may rightfully be celebrating a decisive win over a playoff-caliber opponent and already preparing to see a jump in the power rankings for Week 2, but a closer look inside the numbers show that it may be a bit early to christen this 2024 Cowboys squad as a bona fide powerhouse.

The inconvenient truth, perhaps lost in the happy haze of a Week 1 win, is that the Cowboys offense was just as bad in the second half of the game as the Browns offense had been in the first half. In several categories, they were even worse.

“We were totally out of balance in the second half of the game,” McCarthy told reporters in his Monday press conference. “You’d like the [whole] game to go the way the first half went; I’m just talking about play distribution, ball distribution, all those types of things.”

Sure, the Cowboys were well ahead coming out of the tunnel after intermission. But the game certainly wasn’t decided at that point, and there’s a big difference between easing off the gas a little and parking the car and walking away with the engine sputtering.

A statistical breakdown by half shows that Dak Prescott & Co. did next to nothing for the final 30 minutes of play.

1st Half 2nd Half
Off. plays 40 20
1st Downs 13 2
3rd Down Eff. 4-9 0-5
Rushing Plays 16 9
Rushing Net Yds 76 26
Passing Atts 21 11
Passing Net Yds 140 23
Total Net Yds 216 49
Possession 19:56 9:10

It’s worth noting that KaVontae Turpin’s electrifying punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter, while furthering the Cowboys’ lead, automatically reduced the offense’s second-half opportunities in every one of these categories.

Even still, it’s awfully hard to scan that second column of stats and be crowing too loudly about the offense responsible, no matter what the scoreboard said at the end.

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Of particular concern for McCarthy is the unit going 0-for-5 on third down conversions in the second half; he called that “probably our biggest negative on offense.”

McCarthy often speaks candidly about “September football,” and it was on display on both the shores of Lake Erie and around the league. Silly penalties. Sloppy tackling. Inaccurate passing. Mental mistakes. Missed assignments. Guys cramping and getting winded late in games. There is a legitimate amount of rust to be knocked off for nearly everyone this time of year.

Some of the shortcomings noted above will work themselves out with time and conditioning and reps. No one in Dallas is panicking, and after all, a win is a win. (And a 16-point win over a team expected to be an AFC playoff contender is a fantastic way to start the season.)

And after a frustrating and tension-filled offseason, Cowboys fans understandably aren’t especially eager to focus on the negative after such a satisfyingly cathartic win to kick off the season.

But pretending there’s not a problem won’t help it go away. McCarthy knows there’s a problem to be fixed; he and the offense have six days to tinker with it before trying again versus New Orleans.

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