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It wasn’t a pretty one, but Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys got the job done against the Detroit Lions.
After holding up against three attempts at a game-winning 2-point conversion by Detroit in the final seconds, Dallas escaped Week 17 with a 20-19 win. The victory also marked Dallas’ first undefeated season at home since 1981.
At 11-5, the win keeps Dallas’ hopes alive to poach the NFC East title from the Eagles’ grip next week. However, the attention of Cowboys fans and NFL media was elsewhere after the game:
McCarthy’s clock management and playcalling down the stretch.
“DO NOT LET THE ENDING OF THIS GAME DISTRACT YOU FROM MIKE MCCARTHY BEING AN ABSOLUTE LIABILITY FOR THE COWBOYS IN THE PLAYOFFS,” NFL analytics guru Warren Sharp wrote to his 350,000 followers on X.
In particular, it was McCarthy’s decision to throw the ball three straight times that drew the vitriol of onlookers.
With 2:05 remaining in the game.
With a 4-point lead.
Deep in Lions territory.
Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller didn’t hold back: “This game should be over right now- cowboys coaching decisions are atrocious. Clock management malpractice,” he wrote on X.
Instead, Dallas settled for a field goal to extend the lead to 20-13, leaving Jared Goff and the Lions with 1:41 and no timeouts. In turn, Detroit went down the field and scored with 23 seconds remaining, setting up the controversial (failed) 2-point attempts.
“Mike McCarthy has to be so happy that Dan Campbell will get all the coaching criticism from the media after this one when it’s way more deserved for him,” wrote Barstool Big Cat.
Mike McCarthy Explains 4th Quarter Clock Management
Asked by ESPN’s Ed Werder about the 4th-quarter sequence that led to the clock stopping after an incomplete pass on second down, McCarthy told reporters:
“The thing there is, we’re trying to put it away. Obviously, you call plays you feel good about. But first down was a struggle for us all day. I can’t tell you how many second-and-longs we had. The penalty on first down, I’ve got to see it (on replay) — I just can’t.
“I’m trying to still get in striking distance on third down. That was the thought.”
The Cowboys finished the game 7-of-14 on third-down attempts on offense and 5 total penalties for 34 yards (compared to the Lions’ 6 for 35).
CeeDee Lamb Makes Cowboys History
One aspect of the game that was never in question was CeeDee Lamb’s dominance.
The Cowboys’ WR1 finished the night with 13 receptions on 17 targets and a career-high 227 receiving yards, including a 92-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He also had a likely second touchdown wiped out after fumbling into the end zone, resulting in a touchback.
Lamb’s 17 targets and 13 catches were more than double the next closest Cowboys receiver Brandin Cooks, who finished with 8 and 5, respectively.
In addition to setting new personal milestones, Lamb also now holds claim to the greatest statistical season by a Cowboys receiver in franchise history. The 24-year-old surpassed Michael Irvin’s previous single-season records for receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,603), both set back in 1995.
Next up, Dallas closes out the regular season in Week 18 with a road game against the Washington Commanders.
To win the NFC East and improve their current No. 5 playoff seed, the Cowboys would need a win in Washington and help from the Eagles (11-4). Philadelphia would need to drop at least one of their final two games vs. the Cardinals and at the Giants.
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