Sep 27, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy reacts to a pass interference penalty in favor of the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
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The Dallas Cowboys sit at 2-4 on the season heading into their Week 7 matchup against the Washington Football Team. They struggled big time in a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals this past Monday night, creating more issues as it relates to first-year head coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff.
Through the first six weeks of his tenure with the Cowboys, McCarthy has struggled with in-game coaching decisions. Dallas’ most-recent loss, a 38-10 drubbing at the hands of the Cardinals, included him not having the team ready to play.
Whether it’s Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury or Ezekiel Elliott’s fumble issues, excuses for the Cowboys’ lack of success under McCarthy are growing tired. That now includes some within the team’s locker room.
“Totally unprepared. They don’t teach. They don’t have any sense of adjusting on the fly,” one unnamed player told NFL Media’s Jane Slater. Another added, “They just aren’t good at their jobs.”
There’s certainly a lot to look at here. Players should ultimately take responsibility for their performances on the football field. Through six weeks, Cowboys players just have not stepped up. That’s primarily true on the defensive side of the ball. Led by first-year coordinator Mike Nolan, Dallas’ defense is yielding a resounding 36.3 points per game.
This obviously is not what owner Jerry Jones and Co. wanted to hear from their players with the Cowboys still in first place in the horrible NFC East. However, it does seem to be a continuation of larger issues in Dallas right now.
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Following the Cowboys’ 49-38 loss to the Cleveland Browns back in Week 4, McCarthy seemed to throw defensive coordinator Mike Nolan under the bus for his scheme. Given that McCarthy hired Nolan in the first place, that didn’t seem to make a lot of sense.
If the Dallas’ head coach is out here calling out his assistants, it stands to reason that those who suit up on the field wouldn’t be shy about publicly going after McCarthy himself. After some brief hesitation, Cowboys players did just that on Tuesday.
It’s part of a larger problem. Former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett received a ton of criticism for leading mediocre teams during his decade with the organization. What we’ve seen from McCarthy and Co. in his first six games lends some credence to the idea that Garrett was merely a scapegoat.
Despite boasting a 2-4 record, Dallas sits a half game ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. It also has somewhat of a favorable upcoming schedule.
There’s a chance that head coach Mike McCarthy and Co. could find themselves at 6-5 heading down the stretch. The issues here include McCarthy’s own coaching ability, injury problems and a rift in the locker room.
If things don’t turn around, one has to wonder whether Mike McCarthy will be one-and-done as the Dallas Cowboys’ head coach.