Dallas Cowboys: Is Mike McCarthy the answer?
Can Mike McCarthy be the one to fix the Dallas Cowboys’ problems on offense and, more importantly, be the one to take this team to the Super Bowl?
On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys made it official that the former Green Bay Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy, will replace Jason Garrett. This choice has left many analysts and fans puzzled as this hiring came out of left field.
McCarthy began his NFL coaching career with the Kansas City Chiefs as the quarterbacks coach. He would then become the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints for five seasons before joining the San Fransisco 49ers in the same role in 2005. That then ultimately led to him landing the head coaching gig with the Packers.
McCarthy coached the Packers from 2006-18, during which they posted a 125-77-2 regular-season record, reaching the playoffs nine times and winning a Super Bowl in 2010 as a Wild Card team against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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His head coaching position in Green Bay became a hot seat very quickly in 2017 once quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken clavicle in Week 6 from a controversial hit by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr. The Packers, who were 4-1 prior to Week 6, finished the regular season 7-9, winning only three times in the remaining 11 games.
He would be given the benefit of the doubt in 2018 if a healthy Aaron Rodgers destined for vengeance returned and the Packers rebounded. However, the team only registered four victories by Week 13, resulting in the termination of his contract.
Following his dismissal in Green Bay, McCarthy elected to sit out the 2019 season while the Packers achieved a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed in the NFC, going 13-3. He then picked up interviewing for vacant jobs, now landing in Dallas.
From a résumé perspective, the hiring of McCarthy is an otherwise smart decision as he won a Super Bowl, consistently defeated division rivals and reached the playoffs routinely. From a logical perspective, this hiring feels like it was a mistake.
He is an offensive-minded head coach. McCarthy was an offensive coordinator for seven seasons before becoming a head coach, where he called all the offensive plays. But he was fired in Green Bay for having an unimpressive and stale offensive gameplan (in addition to his rift with Rodgers).
Unless McCarthy has revamped his offensive scheme, then there is little reason to believe that this coaching change will be any different from keeping Jason Garrett.
The hiring of the once offensive guru seems rushed as the NFL season has yet to officially have concluded. The offseason is where offensive and defensive coordinators are open to head coaching positions, particularly those that are currently a part of a playoff run.
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Only time will tell how this hiring will affect the success of the Dallas Cowboys. Time is dwindling, however, as their core and elite talent is aging day-by-day and their fans begin to grow restless over the continuous lack of success.
Let’s hope that Jerry Jones sees something that nobody else sees in Mike McCarthy and he can establish the ‘Boys as a powerhouse, as he did when he entered the stage with Green Bay in the past.