Jerry Jones wavers on Mike McCarthy, but Dallas Cowboys stars also deserve blame

While owner Jerry Jones likely is evaluating the coaching staff and contemplating the future of head coach Mike McCarthy following the Dallas Cowboys’ devastating playoff loss, just know that picking a coach who can take his team deep in the postseason is not an exact science.

Consider this past weekend’s divisional round, particularly Saturday’s outcome in Green Bay where the San Francisco 49ers knocked off the No. 1 seed Packers one week after ending the Cowboys’ season.

Saturday’s upset also might have ended future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ career in Green Bay. Rodgers, who is now a free agent, has not won anything of consequence there without McCarthy as head coach.

Remember, McCarthy coached Rodgers and the Packers to a title following the 2010 season. He was fired in 2018 after being targeted as the reason Rodgers was unable to get back to the Super Bowl and win another ring.

Three years later, Rodgers remains ringless without McCarthy.

And Jones, who hired McCarthy primarily because of his success in Green Bay, is now contemplating whether he is still the right man for the job in Dallas two years into his tenure and coming off a regular season in which the Cowboys finished 12-5 and won the NFC East title.

Or so it seems.

The Cowboys have not been to the Super Bowl since 1995 and have won just four playoff games in the interim. Every team in the NFL except the Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns have at least made the conference championship game since then as well.

Jones thought the Cowboys would break through this season.

So a sulking Jones has refused to provide clarity on McCarthy’s situation but he also knows he’s boxed in when it comes to picking an alternative.

“If I thought changing out men at any level would improve us, I would change it out,” Jones said. “I’ve looked around. I see a lot of names, a lot of great names, a lot of names from colleges, a lot of great names. I see them coming through. I see a lot of great names at various duties in the NFL come and go over the last 30 years.

“I haven’t seen but a couple of them that might have a straight shot into what’s up above and that’s [Bill] Belichick there in New England. His record has been unbelievable. But aside from that I’ll be very candid with you. I see human beings, human frailties, human work ethic, human excelling, and coming up with a way to go.”

Former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin believes that Jones is angry enough to make a change but the bottom line remains the same.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, with all the things that — and it’s not just him being furious with Mike McCarthy and the disappointing end to the season, it’s also what he should be doing,” Irvin said on 105.3 The Fan.

“His job is to evaluate and see if there’s any way we can get better. So, that’s why I said and I’ve been saying on the air ... No! Unless I’m sure I can bring in something better — a Sean Payton or Bill Belichick or Kyle Shanahan or Mike Tomlin. But, we get emotional. We get emotional and we want someone out. We’re not thinking about the other side of it. Who are we bringing in? ...”

Yeah, who?

Hiring Payton has been Jones’ dream for years. And while he has not committed to returning to the New Orleans Saints in 2022, he is more likely to retire or take a year off than jump to Dallas, especially considering the legal maneuvering it would take to pull off such an acquisition.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, a popular in-house choice, appears to be on the fast track out of town with multiple interviews for head coaching jobs with other teams.

And so Jones has publicly decided to let McCarthy twist in the wind while he continues to be frustrated and disappointed not just over how the Cowboys season ended but also his coach’s comments in the days after.

It’s still startling that McCarthy admitted that he sensed his team was nervous before the game against the 49ers. And he let them walk out on the field without shaking up the room and resetting their mindset.

The Cowboys promptly fell behind 13-0 and 23-7 before succumbing 23-17.

McCarthy was brought to Dallas because of his winning history and he didn’t have his team probably prepared and focused for the biggest game of the season.

That’s still unacceptable.

What’s also unacceptable is the players on the Cowboys continually not playing their best football when it mattered most in the biggest games.

McCarthy won in 2010 because Rodgers was at the peak of his career and played at an amazing level in the biggest game.

The Cowboys need their stars to just be conscious and competent when it matters most.

That a team with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence all healthy and at the peak of their careers didn’t play their best against the 49ers doesn’t sit well with Jones or Irvin.

Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said it’s something that will haunt them for the rest of their careers if they don’t eventually win.

“When you look back and you feel like you weren’t your best or didn’t give your best efforts you know, those are lost opportunities,” Aikman said. “I don’t know that you ever get over those.”

So as Jones rightfully vacillates on what to do about McCarthy, he must also hold his players accountable.

It’s enough to make you nervous.