Getty Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy
Something must change.
That is the directive given to Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who is “safe” from the firing line, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning.
With a caveat.
“Is Mike McCarthy heading toward a one-and-done situation? My understanding, talking to sources inside the organization, Mike McCarthy is safe. But, as one source said, something has to change. Keep an eye on the defensive side of the ball — specifically, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. They basically have the same players they had in 2018. That was a good defense. This, last in points. Something must change.”
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Jerry Hints at Major Changes
Rapoport’s hearsay echoes what Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones boldly admitted Friday: that he wishes for a “do-over” on defense — in other words, a sign to Nolan to tidy up his resume.
“I will say this, like anybody, you got a lot of do-overs, I’d like to start again on how we approach our defense this year,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “I’d like to start that over again. I’m sure everybody else would, too.”
“I’d start right there (with) the first day (of training camp),” he continued. “By the way, unfortunately, everybody (was dealing with) the same thing. … I would really make sure that any changes we were making, I would want to make sure that we did in the same way that we didn’t make changes on offense. Because we didn’t think we had the time to make those changes and it really be effective. We’ve obviously, done some things, we’ve changed. And we’re having a hard time getting those in place to be a good defense.”
The Cowboys’ defense entered Sunday’s road affair in Cincinnati ranked dead last in scoring and against the run. They’ve surrendered 260-plus rushing yards in three games this year, including a 307-yard effort against the Cleveland Browns, as well as 30-plus points in seven games. Football fundamentals like tackling, coverage, and gap responsibility are continually absent.
Thus, a scapegoat is needed. It won’t be Jones, he himself confirmed. And it’s unlikely to be McCarthy, who gets a mulligan for his injury-ruined (some say cursed) 2020 debut. So, Nolan is the next man up — and a dead man walking, McCarthy strongly intimated.
“I think our staff as a whole is not where we need to be. And that’s ultimately my responsibility,” he said Friday on 105.3 The Fan. “We’re going through things for the first time, as all first-year staffs do. There’s not a lot of continuity between coaches because most of us have not worked together before. And so when you talk about development, it doesn’t just stop at players. You’re developing a program, a system. Coordinating things that have been here in the past. You have a training staff that’s been together a long time. But we’re not doing things exactly how they’ve been done the last 20 years. You’re trying to coordinate that and put it all together. That’s part of building a program. It’s no different in all phases, especially with the coaching staff.”
Credit Where It’s Due …
Dallas’ defense has been one of the worst not just in franchise history, but the history of the sport. Nolan’s unit truly is a sieve of impossible proportions. But they’re playing perhaps their best game of the year against the Bengals.
As of this writing, the Cowboys have forced three Bengals fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Aldon Smith. They’ve also held Cincy to seven points while limiting quarterback Brandon Allen to 165 yards and the rushing attack to a combined 83 yards on 23 carries.
This likely Cowboys victory over a lowly Bengals squad isn’t going to change Nolan’s future. Barring a drastic change of heart, he’s gone at season’s end. It is, however, encouraging that his personnel are making plays instead of surrendering them.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL