Cowboys RGIII Plan: Fire Mike McCarthy, Dump Dak Prescott - Hire Deion and Shedeur Sanders!? 'Coach Prime' to 'The Promised Land!'
The Dallas Cowboys watched their season crumble in stunning fashion Sunday, suffering a 48-32 defeat to the Green Bay Packers inside AT&T Stadium.
Dallas, which held the No. 2 seed after going 12-5 in the regular season for the third straight year, trailed 48-16 early in the fourth quarter to the No. 7-seed Packers.
The result?
More questions than answers for the Cowboys, specifically surrounding the future of coach Mike McCarthy, who's gone 42-25 in the regular season but is now just 1-3 in the postseason.
And replacement names ranging from Bill Belichick to ... Deion Sanders!
Yes, according to ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, the resolution is simple.
"I hate calling for coaches' jobs," Griffin said, via X, "but it's got to be the coach."
Griffin alluded to the playoff failure following strong regular seasons, the Cowboys' 28-year drought of not winning the Super Bowl, let alone making the NFC Championship, and failing to reach the conference finals in 12 straight postseason appearances, the longest streak in NFL history.
Griffin also pointed to McCarthy's 13-year tenure in Green Bay, questioning how the veteran coach failed to get his team ready to play and allowed the same organization to effectively fire him.
So, who's next? Recently fired New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl winner, has become a commonly mentioned name.
"A lot of people are saying you should go get Bill Belichick as your next head coach, because we all know Mike McCarthy's stuff was packed before this game was already over," Griffin said. "His office? Empty. He gone."
But Belichick as McCarthy's successor? No.
Instead, Griffin feels the Cowboys need to turn towards franchise legend and current University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.
"I know who you need," Griffin said. "You need Coach Prime. That's right - Deion Sanders. Coach Prime knows how to win in Dallas. He knows what it takes to have a championship mindset. He knows how to hold his guys accountable, and he's a culture changer."
The 56-year-old Sanders went 27-6 at Jackson State but only 4-8 in his first season at Colorado, though he sparked a three-win improvement.
Sanders, a Hall of Famer who spent five years (1995-1999) with the Cowboys and made four All-Pro's, has shut down the idea of his potential move to the NFL numerous times. ... starting with an exclusive visit with CowboysSI.com during which he said he's "too old-fashioned'' to put up with today's pro athletes.
Still, pundits like Griffin persist - and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's lack of postseason success may play a reason why; Prescott is now 2-5 in the playoffs with Dallas.
Should the Cowboys hire Sanders, Griffin hypothesized he'd draft his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, to replace Prescott.
Griffin believes Prescott can win a Super Bowl, but Shedeur Sanders would ultimately be Coach Prime's quarterback of the future.
"Dak can take Shedeur under his wing and teach him the ropes until he's ready to take over," Griffin said.
But of course, none of this matters until Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decides McCarthy's fate.
Griffin noted Jones loves money and attention more than anything else. Firing McCarthy and replacing him with Sanders brings both qualities, Griffin said, and wins will follow.
"No coach will make Jerry Jones more money than Coach Prime," Griffin said. "Deion Sanders will have the Dallas Cowboys high-stepping towards the Lombardi in no time."
For now, McCarthy's still the Cowboys' coach. He's created times of optimism and elevated the franchise to a higher level from when he entered, at least in terms of regular season success.
But the wins haven't continued come playoff time ... and at least in Griffin's eyes, Jones is left with just one solution.
"It's time to get it right," Griffin said, "and Coach Prime will take you to the promised land."
