Mike McCarthy wants no part of Cowboys-Packers playoff hype. ‘It’s about the players.’

Mike McCarthy admits he was too open and too vulnerable with the media before last season’s game against the Green Packers in what was his first meeting against his former team since joining the Dallas Cowboys as head coach in 2020.

McCarthy coached the Packers for 13 seasons and won a Super Bowl title in 2009 before being fired in 2018.

He allowed himself to be nostalgic and wax whimsically about his time in Green Bay before a 31-28 loss in overtime at Lambeau Field in 2022.

While the media is again hyping up Sunday’s wildcard game between the Cowboys and Packers as a McCarthy playoff reunion, the 60-year coach has learned his lesson.

And he is refusing to play ball this time.

Now, that might not go over well at home with his family, who all moved to Dallas from Green Bay in 2020. But he is going to control what he can control.

“I mean, I’ve got a wife and three daughters, obviously two sons, but I can’t win in that house,” McCarthy said about about his family who grew up Packers fans, still communicate with their old friends, despite their current allegiances to the Cowboys.

McCarthy’s hard-line stance began Sunday after the Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders in the season final to secure the NFC East title and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. He was told the Packers would be the Cowboys playoff opponent and he immediately shut it down.

“The drama of it, I’m sure you all will love,” McCarthy said. “I will not participate this year. It’s playoff time. It doesn’t matter who we play.”

McCarthy stood firm when asked about the Packers game Monday. He said winning the game is all that matters, no matter who the Cowboys play.

I think the biggest thing is it’s playoff time,” McCarthy said. “This is a time for all of us to be selfish. Every player. Every coach. Every support staff member.We’re right where we need to be. We need to take full advantage of that. That’s just really the tightness that we want and the commitment. Last year, I thought it was important for me to talk about Green Bay in the beginning of the week. I did with the team. I regretted it. That doesn’t even need to come into our energy base.

“So, you live and learn. This game’s about our commitment. It doesn’t matter who we’re paying. I have no stake at it. it’s just no time for that. I answered the questions honestly in here last year about my experience up there. It just will not help us win. So if it doesn’t help us win a game, I’m not interested in it. I apologize.”

Why did he regret talking about it?

“It’s a players game. It always has been, always will be,” McCarthy said. “That’s all it should be focused on. I believe there’s 24 hours in a day, seven days to prepare and if we’re not working on winning then it’s a waste of time. To put that on their hearts and they needed to speak on my behalf in the locker room, I won’t do that again.”

McCarthy admitted that going back there last year and getting it out of the way has allowed him to move on and focus on the Cowboys this time around. This is his team and that’s all he cares about and is focused on.

“Personally, it helps me. It was good to go back there, frankly,” McCarthy said. “I think the biggest thing I got out of going back there was I got to see a lot of people I didn’t get to see at the end. So, I was thankful for that. We would’ve liked to have won the game, and at the end of the day, this is my team. I’m a Dallas Cowboy. This is our opportunity, and I just want to make sure I’m doing my part, and that’s supporting everything in winning this game.”