McCarthy aiming for breakthrough

Texas’s Frisco Selling his confidence that the Dallas Cowboys can achieve a postseason success that has

eluded the legendary team for almost thirty years, Mike McCarthy went through multiple iterations.

The coach faced reporters a day after a meeting with owner and general manager Jerry Jones ended with

them agreeing McCarthy would return for a fifth season despite a stunning wild-card loss to Green Bay.

The Cowboys won the NFC East and entered the postseason with a chance to play at least twice at home,

where they had a 16-game winning streak.

They exited as the first No. 2 seed to lose to a conference’s last team in since the 14-team format was

adopted in 2020. Dallas trailed by 32 points in the fourth quarter of the 48-32 loss to the Packers.

“We have established a championship program. It’s just not a world championship yet,” McCarthy said

at a packed news conference Thursday. “We know how to win. We know how to train to win. We have the

right people.

“But we have not crossed the threshold winning playoff games,” McCarthy stated. “Sitting here and

talking about it is so depressing. I know how to win, though. We are going to cross that line. I am here

now because I am completely confident in that.”

McCarthy coached the Packers for more than twelve seasons, winning a Super Bowl and attending three

other NFC title games. Jones hired him in 2020 for this reason, having watched Jason Garrett’s teams

lose in the divisional round for the previous ten years.

Dallas last advanced to the NFC championship game in 1995, when they won their fifth and final Super

Bowl championship.

While McCarthy has to own being the coach of the first team with three consecutive 12-win playoff

seasons not to reach a conference championship game, there’s only so much history he can take.

“I’m going to take no responsibility, and I talked to the players too, and they have no responsibility on

what’s gone on here in the 20-plus years before this point,” McCarthy stated. “We bear accountability for

the content of the show. Although I am aware that the supporters are disappointed, we have the

opportunity to get past this setback and go forward.

McCarthy reported that he spent almost three hours on Wednesday in meetings with Jones. McCarthy

would return, according to a statement released by Jones afterward.

Despite mentioning the playoff defeat multiple times, Jones insisted that there was “great benefit to

continuing the team’s progress under Mike’s leadership.”

According to McCarthy, the purpose of the meeting was not to provide a case for McCarthy’s retention.

“He’s an awesome boss but he’s even a better leader,” McCarthy said of Jones. “He asks all the hard,

direct questions, which I love and appreciate because you get a depth into conversations. I don’t know if

Jones’ statement made no mention of an extension for McCarthy, who is going into the final year of his

contract. McCarthy didn’t want to discuss what that means for his future.

“I never talk about a player’s contract or a coach’s contract,” McCarthy said. “I’m not going to start today.

But I will say I am very confident in the direction. I’m very confident where I am.”

McCarthy’s fourth season as Dallas coach was his first as quarterback Dak Prescott’s play-caller. While

Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and had a career-best completion rate of 69.5%, he

continued a pattern of spotty postseason play. Prescott is 2-5 in the playoffs.

“I firmly believe in Dak,” McCarthy declared. “I believe he still has a step to go. He’s fit right in with this

attack. We’re eager to take advantage of this growth potential in the future.”

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