Cowboys big loss against Eagles shouldn’t change perceptions about Mike McCarthy
After five weeks of generally improved spirits around Cowboys Nation, a reality check came on Sunday in a 41-7 drubbing from the Philadelphia Eagles. Such a huge loss naturally elicited big fan reactions, particularly regarding Mike McCarthy’s value and future in Dallas. But let’s not overreact; this game shouldn’t really move the needle from however you felt about the Cowboys’ head coach before Week 17.
The recent 4-1 run seemed to create new believers in McCarthy’s leadership, or at least allowed existing ones to be more vocal. And while Dallas’ enduring fight in a lost season has been admirable, some were too easily forgetting why the Cowboys were 3-7 to begin with.
There was a bit of fool’s gold in those four wins, particularly in the form of the Giants and Panthers. The victories over Washington and Tampa Bay certainly weren’t void of virtue, nor was the narrow loss to the Bengals. But Sunday’s trip to Philly was the first time since the last Eagles game in Week 10 that Dallas had to go up against an elite squad, and the disparity showed.
As you know, Jalen Hurts didn’t even play. But that didn’t stop the Eagles from embarrassing the Cowboys in a big way. Somehow, it was an even bigger blowout than the first meeting when Rush was getting his first start of 2024 and Hurts was active. That’s how out of sorts Dallas was in Philadelphia, struggling with turnovers, penalties, and a lack of offensive firepower made worse by poor situational decisions.
But that’s Mike McCarthy, folks. That’s the guy Packers fans weren’t sorry to see leave in 2018. That’s the coach who’s had his rear handed to him in three straight playoff eliminations. Once an opposing coaching staff has his number, he doesn’t know how to change the equation.
After a couple of good early drives, McCarthy’s offense fell apart once the Eagles adjusted. After weeks of making people think he was some master motivator, his team finally got hit in the mouth again and didn’t respond. But this is who Dallas has been all year, whether Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb , Zack Martin, and others were out there or not.
The 2024 Dallas Cowboys are a reflection of the head coach who should’ve been fired a year ago. This loss wasn’t a revelation but just a reminder.
Some were still out on McCarthy even during the 4-1 Kumbaya groundswell, and Sunday certainly didn’t change their feelings. But if you were one who still wanted him back in 2025, now’s not the time to jump off that train. This is the guy you wanted back; a coach who’s rarely come through in the clutch and is often outclassed by elite coaches and teams.
If this recent spark of life out of the Cowboys was enough to sell you on McCarthy staying, you don’t get a refund now. His flaws weren’t even in the fine print; they were headline material less than two months ago. You take the bad with the good with every player, coach, and other person involved with the team.
For the rest of us, we’ll hope that Jerry Jones had no intention of bringing Mike McCarthy back even before this loss. Because if not, it won’t be enough to change his mind.
