The Dallas Cowboys stopped the bleeding for two weeks before their Week 14 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. With five games left, they went from 3-7 to 5-7, winning back-to-back games against NFC East rivals the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. Prior to their Monday Night Football game against the Bengals, the Cowboys had little chance of making the playoffs. However, those postseason aspirations are all but gone after a 27–20 loss to Cincinnati, where Dallas should have been able to pull off a victory after blocking a punt late in the game.
It would be reasonable to infer that Monday night wasn’t the ideal time to discuss the impending contentious choice with owner Jerry Jones, since the Cowboys are now more likely to start offseason preparations than postseason ones. However, it seemed nearly inevitable that Jones would make more remarks regarding head coach Mike McCarthy’s future.
Jones had a different song this time, though, following the defeat that most certainly guaranteed the Cowboys’ playoffs destinies. He has previously expressed hope for McCarthy’s future in Dallas, but this time he praised him.
In answer to the question of McCarthy returning to Dallas, however, veteran Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr. disclosed that Jones was almost too upbeat about the current coach. “Let me just state this once: Mike is an excellent coach. His record is exceptional. “He has a lot of experience,” Jones remarked about McCarthy. “A lot of what he’s about, some of the benefits that we’re having out there, we’re gaining from the type coach that he is.”
“There’s an ancient saying that says you should look closely at any coach you’re considering because he’s one of the best. Once more, I have discussed any considerations I may have, but tonight was difficult for him. I’m positive.”
To be clear, even though McCarthy has had a successful three years with the Cowboys, it is unlikely that many would have placed a wager that Jones would have referred to him as “one of the most outstanding” coaches following this defeat. Jones is right, though, in saying that McCarthy should be given credit for keeping the Cowboys afloat and stopping the five-game losing streak that includes Dak Prescott’s injury that ended his season. Regretfully, that run ended a little too late, and Jones’s upcoming choice is made much more intriguing by Monday’s loss to the Bengals, which probably sealed the team’s doom for the season.
It would be pointless for Jones to choose McCarthy at this time, so he won’t (and shouldn’t). However, given that Dak Prescott and numerous other players threw their support behind McCarthy, his plan for the conclusion of the season will continue to be a major plot point.
Perhaps the player’s desire for McCarthy to continue as head coach is the cause of Jones’s recently developed too positive outlook. Or perhaps Jones just realised that this season was over and is prepared to proceed with his plans for 2025 and beyond.