Right now, the Dallas Cowboys are viewed as one of the best teams in the NFC and one of a few with an actual chance to win a Super Bowl. They’ve been here before in the 27-season drought since their Super Bowl XXX victory in 1996.
But the Cowboys aren’t just in the game to reach the postseason. Team owner Jerry Jones is hungry for more championship rings, and he’s not afraid to keep making changes until he satisfies his appetite.
Mike McCarthy has led the Cowboys to the playoffs each of the past three seasons, but they’ve won just one playoff game in that span. For an owner like Jones, who sets high expectations, what happens if the Cowboys experience another early exit from the postseason this winter?
We’ve heard rumblings of the Cowboys having thoughts of moving on from Coach McCarthy in the past, but would he do so after three consecutive seasons reaching or exceeding 11 wins? Maybe not. But, then again, that likely all depends on which other coaches become available.
Speaking of potentially being available, what’s going on with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots? All season long, rumors of the greatest NFL coach of all time‘s days with the franchise coming to an end have hung a cloud over the Patriots’s organization. But will it actually happen?
Surely, if Belichick becomes available, either as a free agent or via trade, several teams will start second-guessing their head coach, wondering if they should make a move for the GOAT.
But, there’s one NFL insider, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who says the Cowboys might have the owners who are “motivated to take a swing” at landing Belichick thanks to the aggressive nature of Jerry Jones.
If so, it would place even higher expectations on the Cowboys’ franchise. Not only for the remainder of this playoff run but also if Belichick did land the position. In New England, the problem is a lack of talent and no clear franchise QB. Those aren’t issues in Dallas. At all.
Breer also noted that there’s a belief that Coach McCarthy “probably needs to look good in the playoffs to be safe,” while noting the possible departure of Dan Quinn could throw a wrench into the situation.
Basically, if Belichick really is the greatest coach in NFL history, Jerry Jones may just decide to hand him a blank check and ask him to go prove it. Yet, the expectation will be a Super Bowl win, if not several.
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