Dallas Cowboys first-year head coach Mike McCarthy may be on the hot seat, according to Bleacher Report.
While it is never ideal to conduct two coaching searches in as many years, the Cowboys struggles this season may force their hand.
At 3-8, the Cowboys sit in last place in the NFC East.
NFC East standings after today:
New York Giants 5-7
Washington Football Team 4-7
Philadelphia Eagles 3-8-1
Dallas Cowboys 3-8 pic.twitter.com/yYr4dnXJiV— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) December 7, 2020
Their Tuesday night matchup against the Baltimore Ravens marks the start of the team’s final stretch, where the future of their coach may be determined.
While they still sit within striking distance of the division lead, it would be a longshot.
Coming into the season, the Cowboys were expected to win the division.
However, a combination of injuries and poor performances has turned that around.
With the team entering their final stretch of the season, a string of losses could push the franchise make a move.
Mulligan For McCarthy
There is reason to believe that the organization will see this as a “mulligan” year for McCarthy.
Because of the injuries, the team will be cautious in placing all the blame on the first-year coach.
The most notable of these was Dak Prescott’s ankle injury in Week 5.
This was a major loss for the franchise, who is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Name a better friendship, we’ll wait.@dak ✖️ @ezekielelliott pic.twitter.com/KumDgHfeYV
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 4, 2020
Owner Jerry Jones has continually expressed his support for the former Green Bay Packers’ head coach.
“I’ve got my man,” Jones said in October. “One of the, without a question, reasons Mike McCarthy is the coach is because he’s been through it.”
However, there is reason to not be surprised if Jones does make some kind of move.
If the team really falters down the stretch and Jones gets upset, he may be tempted to pull the trigger on McCarthy.
After all, we have learned to loosen our expectations when it comes to the franchise.
However, this still goes against what Jones has said in the past.
Outlook For The Cowboys
The Cowboys are likely to view this season as just a small bump in the road.
While they haven’t performed well, much of that can be attributed to youth and injuries.
Scouts view this as beneficial for the team, as they will get a high draft selection this year that will only benefit them moving forward.
With a projected top five pick, the team will have a lot of options.
They could either pick a player up then or drop down in the draft for even more assets.
Michigan star pass-rusher Kwity Paye went to the Dallas Cowboys early in a recent 2021 NFL Mock Draft.https://t.co/FaZuuBnXBp pic.twitter.com/n92BBUfFpq
— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 1, 2020
Either way, the team will be able to stack talent that can help shape their team for the future.
If they are able to bring back Prescott, who is eligible for free agency next season, the team will have cornerstone talents in place.
Though this season has been disappointing for fans of the franchise, there is a lot of reasons to be optimistic.
Expect this to be a short turnaround for a franchise that is still looking to get over the hump.
Jones reflected this sentiment, saying:
“Certainly, we couldn’t have anticipated being at this stage this year. But if I were going to hire for a head coach, that we’re going to be at this stage this year and work through this for the betterment of what’s in store for us the rest of the year and for what’s for us in the future, I’ve got my man,” Jones said.
Jones still sees McCarthy as the man to guide the franchise moving forward.
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