Game Day News: McCarthy’s job at stake? Vikings in line for Moore, Quinn interviews

The stakes for Sunday’s wild-card game in Dallas may have just gotten even bigger. One NFL insider reports that a Cowboys loss to the 49ers could cost head coach Mike McCarthy his job, a move that would allow owner Jerry Jones to offer one of his heavily-courted coordinators the role in order to keep him in the building. The news comes as yet another team requests interviews with both Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore.

Elsewhere, oh yeah, there’s a playoff game to be played, too. The Cowboys’ phenom linebacker got some top-tier mentoring this week as he sets out on his own bid for postseason immortality. There’s plenty of debate over which Dallas defender will be tasked with shutting down 49ers tight end George Kittle; both Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson may get their shot Sunday. The big boss isn’t worried about a pro-San Francisco crowd, but the city’s airport may have just jinxed the home team by throwing around some smack talk on social media. All that, plus player rankings heading into the tournament, Ralph Neely’s widow speaks out on the toll that Cowboys football took on her late husband, and tragic news about a troubled ex-player. Here’s the News and Notes.

Cowboys could replace Mike McCarthy with Kellen Moore if team fails to meet postseason expectations :: CBS Sports

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Jason La Canfora reports that head coach Mike McCarthy’s job could be on the line when the Cowboys square off against San Francisco. The NFL insider cites “league sources” as saying that a wild-card loss “would prompt [team owner Jerry] Jones to at least consider the direction of the team as coordinators Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore prepare for numerous head coaching interviews.” Would Jones fire McCarthy just to keep Moore on the payroll? “He does not want to lose him,” according to one of La Canfora’s sources.

Kellen Moore joins Vikings' list of head coach candidates :: Adam Schefter (Twitter)

Vikings also request interview with Cowboys DC Dan Quinn :: Tom Pelissero (Twitter)

'Now we become legends': Micah Parsons on cusp of postseason glory under watchful eyes of Cowboys icons :: Cowboys Wire

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The rookie phenom got a lunchtime film session with longtime sackmaster DeMarcus Ware and then was surprised by Michael Irvin while recording a podcast. The Hall of Fame receiver shared the text message he sent Stephen Jones a week after Parsons was drafted; Irvin compared the young linebacker to himself and predicted great things for him. Parsons is making good on it so far, but he knows the postseason is where legends like that of Ware and Irvin are made.

Jerry Jones on 49ers fans at AT&T Stadium: ‘I guarantee you this will be a Cowboys crowd’ :: Dallas Morning News

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The Cowboys owner admits to being slightly worried about 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel, comparing him to CeeDee Lamb. He’s not concerned, though, about a rumored “Red Sea” of San Francisco fans invading AT&T Stadium. “This is a home game,” Jones said, “and we’ll get the benefit of a home crowd.”

Cowboys’ Jayron Kearse ready for matchup with 49ers tight end George Kittle :: Inside the Star

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The 49ers tight end is a matchup challenge for whoever is responsible for him. While the Cowboys will likely move several defenders onto him throughout the game, free-agent safety Jayron Kearse could draw the assignment for much of the time. But Kearse is ready to be a tough assignment, too. “I’m ready for the task, but he has to go against me, too,” Kearse said. “I kind of get ticked off when I’m being asked ‘Kittle this, Kittle that.’ He has to play me, too. So we’ll see how that shakes out.”

Cowboys point/counterpoint: Why focusing on the 49ers running game may not be the best approach :: Blogging the Boys

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The 49ers can run, and Dallas has shown themselves to be susceptible at times. But if the Cowboys defense focuses too much on shutting down the ground game, San Francisco has a group of physical pass-catchers- Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk- who can do serious damage. Their quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, though, can get sloppy with the ball, and not just when passing.

This surprise Cowboys player will dominate vs 49ers :: The Landry Hat

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While much of the focus of Sunday’s game will be on the battle in the trenches, look for safety Donovan Wilson to be in a position to make a difference. He quietly owns the fifth-best pass-rushing grade on the Dallas defense, and is one of the few with the physicality to contend with All-Pro tight end George Kittle.

2021 Wild Card: Cowboys player power rankings :: Cowboys Wire

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From 50 all the way to No. 1, our own K.D. Drummond ranks the Cowboys as they head into the tournament. The expanded postseason format welcomes some unfamiliar faces to the list (hello, Jake McQuaide, Jeremy Sprinkle, and Luke Gifford), while the starters see some shuffling based on recent play. Leighton Vander Esch, Jourdan Lewis, Neville Gallimore, and Cedrick Wilson all make big moves, while rookie Kelvin Joseph catapults 21 spots, thanks to a nice Week 18 showing.

Dallas airport brings the trash talk ahead of Cowboys playoff game :: DFW Airport (Twitter)

Widow of Dallas Cowboys great Ralph Neely says his final years were destroyed by CTE :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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Janis Neely painted a grim picture of the late lineman’s final days as he dealt with a list of old injuries, dementia, and so much pain that he no longer wanted to live. Ralph Neely wanted his remains to be studied so that researchers could learn more about the affects of CTE and concussions, but a paperwork snafu appears to have prevented his wishes from being carried out.

Ex-Cowboys player Junior Siavii found dead in federal prison :: NBC DFW

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Siavii played defensive tackle for Dallas in 2009 and 2010. The 43-year-old from American Samoa was awaiting trial on charges of illegal firearms possession at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. Siavii was found unresponsive; he was treated by prison staff and taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

44th anniversary of Cowboys' 2nd Super Bowl win :: Kevin Gallagher (Twitter)

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