Head coach Mike McCarthy took accountability for the Dallas Cowboys’ slow start to the season.
Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy (via IMAGO)
The Dallas Cowboys have an odd organizational dynamic. Amongst the other 31 NFL teams, the ownership focuses on bringing aboard the right general manager and coaching staff and then allowing them to perform the roles they are meant to do. However, in Dallas, things are different.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has a say in everything, from the pattern on the seats in AT&T Stadium to the choice of plays his head coach runs. Jones recently took an indirect jab at head coach Mike McCarthy after he said that the team had bad plays and bad concepts.
Mike McCarthy was asked about his thoughts on Jones’ comments regarding the plays earlier at his press conference today. The head coach was pleasantly surprised at his statement but went on to hold himself accountable.
I talk to Jerry all the time. We’ve had time to go through the self-scout. I didn’t see the comments specifically. But I don’t think we have bad concepts and bad plays. But I’ll go back and check.
Mike McCarthy said
If Jones has a say in the type of plays that the Cowboys should and should not run, then the reason behind the team’s lack of success over the past 30 years is crystal clear.
Mike McCarthy understands that the Dallas Cowboys need to improve
The head coach further reassured the fans that he realizes the team is not where it should be at this point in the season and that they are doing everything to ensure the second half is more successful.
We’re not where we want to be. That’s clear, and that’s ultimately my responsibility and I’m fully aware of that. We’re very diligent. We’re on top of what we want to do.
Mike McCarthy added
His soft response was not surprising. Jerry Jones threw him under the bus and the head coach had no option but to get run over.
Jerry Jones has not been happy with the performance of the Dallas Cowboys this season. The loss to the Detroit Pistons was the tipping point for him. On his most recent appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jerry Jones expressed displeasure at Mike McCarthy’s playcalling.
The types of things that we all think we should be looking at is we’re designing bad plays, or we’re designing bad concepts.
Jerry Jones stated
In many ways, this should be taken as a warning to McCarthy that if he is not able to get Dallas to the playoffs, he should find another job.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy when asked a question about Jerry Jones saying Dallas had bad plays and bad concepts:
“I talk to Jerry all the time. We’ve had time to go through the self-scout. I didn’t see the comments specifically. But I don’t think we have bad concepts and bad… pic.twitter.com/LMmbhpoFKd
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 23, 2024
It has been a concerning season for Dallas. It all started with a lackluster off-season wherein the team failed to make significant upgrades to its roster. Once the year began, the Cowboys’ defense got exposed early on as Mike Zimmer’s squad failed to do anything about the run game. The offense has not lived up to the expectations either, with Dak Prescott showing glaring inconsistency in his performance and leaving CeeDee Lamb averaging over 5 helpless facial expressions per game.
