Jerry Jones finally pulled the trigger this past weekend and relieved Jason Garrett of his head coaching duties in Dallas after 3 playoff appearances over 10 seasons. Jones has handpicked long time Packers head coach Mike McCarthy to be Garrett’s successor to begin the 2020 regular season. The former Green Bay head coach is most known for winning Super Bowl XLV, but his sustained success is vastly underrated due to the controversial final years of his time in the NFC North. McCarthy coached the Packers to 9 playoff appearances (8 in a row from 2009-2016) and 6 NFC North Division Titles. Jones, who turns 77 this calendar year, must see something in McCarthy that many others are overlooking and may have actually hit this hiring decision right on the head.
After one of the most disappointing seasons of the 2019-20 season, the Dallas Cowboys are just too talented of a team to finish with an 8-8 record. The pressure surrounding the players, coaching staff, and Jones was a time-ticking bomb just seconds away from an explosion every single day. With the amount of talent at the skill positions, an elite offensive line, and the seemingly superior depth that this team has been constructed with, the window is still very much alive for deep runs in Dallas…but for how long? It’s no secret that Jerry wants a shot at another ring, and frankly, he knows that these next 2-3 seasons could very well be his last chance at a title-type run. Enter McCarthy, who’s impressive playoff experience and consistency to get his team into the postseason may have launched him over other suitable candidates such as Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, or even Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Jerry wants to win now, and McCarthy has the head coach resume to win now that the other candidates simply do not.
While the football world’s most recent memories of McCarthy in Green Bay were filled with the drama surrounding his relationship with Aaron Rodgers, he is set up extremely well for immediate success in the NFC East. Dallas has the most talent by a long shot compared to the other teams in the division, which is more of a reason why Jerry is choosing someone he knows has the capability to win once a postseason berth is clinched. At the end of the day, Dallas needs to win now, and they’ve chosen to put their hopes and trust in the hands of a Super Bowl-winning coach.
