The Dallas Cowboys’ 47-9 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions has fans and media members alike calling for the franchise to move on from head coach Mike McCarthy. Dallas is now 3-3 for the season but already has two blowout defeats through the first six games. The Cowboys also lost 44-19 to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
McCarthy is in the final year of his current contract. It may seem unlikely that Dallas would make a mid-season change, but the Cowboys are heading into a bye week. Yet, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones attempted to squash this notion in his postgame comments following the team’s loss to the Lions.
Pro Football Network’s Sterling Xie has McCarthy firmly on the hot seat heading into the team’s bye in Week 7.
“The Cowboys have a bye in Week 7, making this a prime opportunity for a change,” Xie wrote in an October 13, 2024, story titled, “Will the Cowboys Fire Mike McCarthy? Dallas Head Coach on the Hot Seat After No-Show in Week 6.” “Week 8 brings a road game against the San Francisco 49ers, who have beaten the Cowboys in three straight games by an average of 15.0 PPG (including playoff games after the 2021 and ’22 seasons).
“Facing that bleak outlook, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Cowboys opt for a drastic change in order to try and jolt their season. With Dak Prescott owning one of the more secure quarterback jobs in the league, that leaves McCarthy as one of the only viable scapegoat options.”
Could the Cowboys Turn to Ex-Patriots Coach Bill Belichick?
One name that continues to be floated as a potential replacement candidate for Dallas is former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. The legendary coach is spending the NFL season doing media breakdowns of the league.
“How soon after the Cowboys latest humiliating loss at home will Jerry Jones call Bill Belichick?” NFL analyst Gary Myers pondered in an October 13 message on X.
Former Fox Sports host Skip Bayless is among those calling for McCarthy’s job. Bayless cited the Cowboys’ playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers in January as another reason McCarthy should no longer be on the sideline.
“I ask you, how in the name of Thomas Wade Landry does Mike McCarthy still have a job?” Bayless asked in an October 13 post. “I asked that question after last year’s home playoff game in which we were the No. 2 seed playing the No. 7 seed Packers, the youngest team in the league. And the Packers had us down 27-0 before halftime.
“Jerry, how do you not fire McCarthy? It’s because he’s your best friend and maybe your only friend. Happy birthday, Jerry.”
Jerry Jones on a Potential Cowboys’ Coaching Change: ‘I’m Not Considering That’
If you are looking for reasons to hold out hope for McCarthy, there is data to point to in defense of the veteran NFL coach. McCarthy was the head coach for the Packers team that won the Super Bowl during the 2010 season. Dallas is dealing with a litany of injuries on defense, including Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence being sidelined.
Despite the lack of playoff success, McCarthy has led the Cowboys to three straight 12-win seasons. Jones bluntly stated that he will not be looking to make a change during the team’s bye.
“I haven’t even considered it [a coaching change],” Jones told reporters on October 13 following the Cowboys’ loss to the Lions, per WFAA’s Ed Werder. “I’m not considering that. So you’re clear I’m not considering that.”
