Should Cowboys Coach McCarthy Be on Jerry Jones' 'Hot Seat'?
The Dallas Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy specifically are in an interesting predicament ahead of the 2023 season. The Cowboys have won 24 games in the last two seasons, making McCarthy the first coach to lead Dallas to two straight 12+ win seasons since Barry Switzer last did it in 1995 before winning the Super Bowl.
Despite this impressive feat, McCarthy is, according to many critics, on the "hot seat" heading into his fourth season in Dallas. But why would owner Jerry Jones want to run off his most consistent coach since Switzer?
Pro Football Focus believes that patience is running out for McCarthy from above, as he has yet to find the formula for ending the Cowboys' Super Bowl drought. Last year, the Wild Card win at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemed to be a step in the right direction - as the Cowboys hadn't won a playoff game on the road since 1992 before that night in Tampa - before ultimately seeing their dream playoff run ended a week later in San Francisco.
"McCarthy has assumed greater control of the offense this offseason due to Moore's departure, and with greater control comes greater responsibility for any success or failure," PFF writes. "Jones is always more forgiving and patient with his coaches than you expect him to be, but another disappointing season would be tough for McCarthy to recover from."
But what's disappointing? Is it "Super Bowl or bust" time in Dallas, or does PFF foresee the Cowboys missing out on the playoffs entirely?
That part isn't clear, yet it seems realistic to believe that PFF - which has an opinion but no true insight into the inner-workings at The Star - is banking on the fact that Jones will make a change if McCarthy cannot at least see the Cowboys through to the NFC Championship Game.
PFF does mention the timing of this supposed "Super Bowl or bust'' mentality comes at a fitting time for the Cowboys. On paper, the NFC has weakened, with just the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers being standout contenders to make it to the Super Bowl.
Judging by the Cowboys' recent regular-season success, it can be argued that they join the Eagles and 49ers on a top tier. The Cowboys have assembled one of the most talented rosters they've had in years, and it isn't just one side of the ball that will carry them. Dallas has a legitimate chance of boasting a top-10 offense and defense next season. The Cowboys also have in defensive coordinator Dan Quinn a standout who is both loyal to McCarthy and seen as a possible heir.
Meanwhile, the ticking time bomb of contracts will put the Cowboys in a precarious position in coming seasons. But along with all that, McCarthy will remind you that "pressure is a privilege.'' And the coach probably has some of both going into 2023.
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