The Dallas Cowboys ' 30-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 15 offered a much-needed respite for head coach Mike McCarthy. While the win temporarily eased the pressure, his job security remains tenuous.
Despite the win, the question that continues to loom large over the franchise is the security of head coach Mike McCarthy's job.
Despite a season full of lows, Dallas showcased their potential in a strong performance against the Panthers.
Backup quarterback Cooper Rush led the offense effectively, throwing three touchdown passes. Running back Rico Dowdle achieved his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game, while the defense made significant contributions by recording six sacks and restricting the Panthers' offense.
However, questionable decisions, such as sending kicker Brandon Aubrey for a 70-yard field goal up 10-7 before halftime, which sailed wide and gave the Panthers a return opportunity along with another double-digit penalty game (14 penalties for 99 yards), complicated the case for retaining the veteran coach.
While this isn’t the first time fans have witnessed special teams craziness this season, at least this occurrence didn’t fully backfire on the Cowboys.
The question for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is whether the recent series of victories—three out of the last four games—supports the case for retaining the veteran coach, even though two of those wins were against in the cellar teams like the Panthers and the New York Giants.
What will and should convince Jones to determine the future of McCarthys job are the upcoming and final three contests of the season.
A tough stretch to end the season awaits the Cowboys. They'll face the NFC South leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the dominant NFC East's Philadelphia Eagles (who humiliated Dallas 34-6), and a revenge-seeking Washington Commanders team in a season-ending home showdown.
