Getty Cowboys owner Jerry Jones with head coach Mike McCarthy.
Vegas may know something we don’t — and that something is the eventual firing of Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.
As of May 27, McCarthy is the odds-on favorite (+750) to become the first NFL coach pink-slipped in 2021, according to BetOnline.ag.
Denver’s Vic Fangio (+800) has the league’s second-hottest head-coaching seat, per oddsmakers, followed by Chicago’s Matt Nagy (+850), Las Vegas’ Jon Gruden (+1000), and Minnesota’s Mike Zimmer (+1100).
Mike McCarthy is the favorite to be the first NFL coach fired
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A Familiar Tune
Hired as Jason Garrett’s high-profile successor, McCarthy faced scrutiny throughout his inaugural Cowboys campaign, in spite of the offensive-minded coach losing franchise quarterback Dak Prescott and three-fifths of his stalwart offensive line, including All-Pros Tyron Smith and Zack Martin.
Injuries devastated the 2020 Dallas outfit, earning a mulligan, although its Super Bowl-winning leader wasn’t without fault.
“There will be absolutely no change with coach McCarthy. I am surprised someone would question these unprecedented situations that everybody’s been in,” Cowboys VP Stephen Jones said in December. “On top of that, no one’s making excuses, but we’ve had some challenges in the injury category. If you look at his track record, and his pedigree, he’s consistently won year-in-and-year out. We have the utmost confidence this ship is going to be righted quickly. Mike’s going to be the leader of this group. He’s, certainly, a great head coach. I think we’re going to see that going forward.”
Addressing reporters in March, McCarthy deferred blame for the club’s disappointing 6-10 finish and instead threw since-fired defensive boss Mike Nolan under the bus. Some in the media, like former Jets general manager and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum, found the scapegoating disappointing. Others, like Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, weaponized it against McCarthy, who’s entering put-up-or-shut-up time.
“McCarthy clearly deserves another chance, but he can’t afford to flounder out of the gate for an organization that expects nothing short of a Super Bowl run. … Failing to do so will likely result in Jerry Jones’ handing McCarthy a pink slip rather than giving him another chance in 2022,” Kay wrote last month.
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No Excuses
It’s fair to claim that McCarthy did not get a fair shake in 2020. He always needed some time to implement his long-term designs, as most new head coaches do. He was never getting canned after just one season; Prescott going down in Week 5 ensured that.
However, all bets are off as a sophomore. McCarthy gets back his $160 million signal-caller and returns his collection of elite offensive weaponry: Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Ezekiel Elliott, and Blake Jarwin … among others. Coupled with an improved defense and free from COVID-19-related strictures, there’s no reason to believe the Cowboys aren’t legitimate title contenders. Now, they better play like it.
“This is a huge year for Mike McCarthy. You’ve got your get out of jail card for all the things that you want to excuse it. Those are gone now,” ESPN beat reporter Todd Archer recently said. “Your program is in place. You’re not behind anymore. You’re not playing from behind. I’m not saying he’s got to win a Super Bowl. I’m not saying he has got to go to the NFC Title game. Just look like your more organized and have a plan.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL