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The Dallas Cowboys can win the NFC East on Sunday, but head coach Mike McCarthy’s job security is apparently not stable. Dallas is readying for their third playoff campaign under McCarthy, but only has one postseason win in the past two years.
According to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, the Cowboys may not be committed to McCarthy for 2024. While the latest from Schefter doesn’t outright say he’s coaching for his job, Dallas may let McCarthy loose should he suffer a big loss in the playoffs.
“There continues to be a feeling from people around the league, and even some within the Cowboys organization, that coach Mike McCarthy will be measured by how Dallas’ final game goes,” Schefter wrote on January 6. “If the Cowboys play well in the postseason, McCarthy would have an excellent chance to keep his job. But if they struggle and end the season with an embarrassing loss, as has happened in each of the past two years, then some say that change could come to Dallas.”
The Cowboys have fallen short under McCarthy, going 1-2 in the playoffs. Both losses came against the San Francisco 49ers, who beat Dallas earlier this year 42-10 and will be the NFC’s No. 1 seed this year.
Cowboys DC Dan Quinn In-Line for HC Job
Whether or not McCarthy does come through in the playoffs, the Cowboys may be preparing for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to depart. Quinn is having another successful season, and could be ready for a head coaching job.
The former Atlanta Falcons head coach could also stay in Dallas. But Schefter hints that could be as a coordinator or a head coach.
“But there is a question about how long that will last and whether Dallas could coax him back for yet another season, which could factor into any decisions this team makes. The Cowboys do not want to lose Quinn, according to sources, and there are questions about what Dallas would be willing to do to keep him,” Schefter wrote.
Over the past three years, Dallas has become one of the NFL’s most explosive defenses under Quinn. Keeping him is arguably just as important as figuring out the head coaching role.
Dallas Playing for NFC East Against Commanders
On paper, the Cowboys’ visit to the Washington Commanders should be a shoe-in. Washington is 4-12 on the season and lost 45-10 to Dallas earlier in the season. But this is a similar situation to the end of the 2022 season, and that ended poorly for the Cowboys.
With a long-shot to win the NFC East at the end of last year, Dallas had to beat Washington on the road to give themselves a chance. Instead of winning, they fell way short in a 26-6 loss.
The Cowboys were able to get over their playoff hump by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following game. But losing to an underperforming division rival to end the year is brutal no matter how you cut it.
This year, the game matters even more. If Dallas wins, they host a playoff game and potentially avoid the 49ers until the NFC Championship game. Lose, and they are entering the postseason in a much more somber state.
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Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy Could Be Fired After Playoffs: ESPN Insider