Emotions were running high throughout Cowboys Nation in the moments immediately following the team’s ouster Sunday night from yet another postseason.
That goes double for the team’s embattled head coach and longtime owner.
Having watched his team turn in an uninspiring performance in a 19-12 loss to the 49ers, a game that ended with questionable clock management from the Dallas sideline and a bizarre final last-gasp play that was snuffed out by the San Francisco defense before it ever had a chance to materialize, coach Mike McCarthy wasn’t in the mood for photo ops as he exited the field at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday evening.
The 59-year-old coach blocked a local TV camera with his hand and even appeared to push the videographer away as he made his way to the visitors’ locker room.
Thank you to everyone that has reached out regarding the Mike McCarthy incident. I can see how the photo appeared like he pushed me but it was more of a hand to the lens. I did meet with coach McCarthy privately in his office and he did apologize. @NBCDFW #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/LuOfPVRqhq
— Noah Bullard (@noah_bullard) January 23, 2023
The photographer, from Dallas’s KXAS-TV, explained via Twitter that it was more of a “hand to the lens” than a push and that McCarthy apologized in private.
McCarthy also chose to categorize the moment differently when asked about it, bristling at the use of the word “shove” in a reporter’s question.
“I obviously didn’t view it like that,” he stated to close out his postgame press conference. “That’s not how I saw the interaction. At all.”
Any physical contact whatsoever, though, is considered off-limits in such a situation and speaks to the clear frustration that got the better of the head coach as another promising 12-5 regular season ended with a whimper.
“Obviously just extremely disappointed,” McCarthy told reporters afterward, referring to the team’s on-the-field performance. “This has been an incredible journey with this group of men. We just came up short tonight to a very good football team.”
But despite the continuation of the Cowboys’ long championship drought, owner Jerry Jones maintains that he is not considering a change at the top of his football flowchart.
“No. No. No. Not at all,” Jones said in the tunnel after the loss.
“But this is very sickening to not win tonight.”
Jerry Jones said this loss has no impact on Mike McCarthy’s job pic.twitter.com/he2rCuhCXX
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 23, 2023
Jones’s pained expression was mirrored in the faces of many Cowboys players after the defeat, with some openly shedding tears.
McCarthy described the state of the locker room as “raw” as he addressed the media.
“This is not really the time to pick apart. I understand you’ve got a job to do, but that’s not where we’re at right now.”
Where the Cowboys are at, though, is home. Out of the postseason before the conference championship round. Again.
But in the moments after their division-round loss to San Francisco- one year and six days after coming up short to the 49ers in the wild-card round- McCarthy chose to look at that detail differently, too.
“Factually, we’ve taken one step closer to our goal. That’s what the comparable would be from last year to this year. I think they’re a different team than they were last year. I think they’re a better team than they were last year. I said this earlier in the week; I thought we’re a better team than we were last year.”
That difference, though- like many- feels like splitting hairs the day after.
[listicle id=709473]
[listicle id=709519]
[listicle id=709502]
[lawrence-newsletter]