Mike McCarthy's message to Cowboys players amid rumors, uncertainty

The 3-6 Dallas Cowboys are coming off an embarrassing 34-6 home loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles, know that injured quarterback Dak Prescott won't play again this season and have a head coach in Mike McCarthy, who is in the final campaign of a contract that isn't being extended. 

Things are undeniably bleak for the Cowboys, but McCarthy is doing whatever he can to rally the troops ahead of the upcoming "Monday Night Football" home game against the 6-4 Houston Texans. 

"I’m never gonna try to be somebody else," McCarthy explained while speaking with reporters on Thursday, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk shared. "I think it’s important for all of us to operate in that phase because we were all brought here for a reason. We’ve done good things together. So we need to continue to work and stay convicted to that commitment. So if anything, these moments really confirm who you are, why you’re here. That’s the way I look at it."

Whether or not Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons hinted last Sunday that McCarthy has lost some members of the locker room may not matter by January if Dallas finishes the season with double-digit losses. Whispers suggest that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is ready to replace McCarthy with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. On Thursday, Jacob Robinson and Dianna Russini of The Athletic linked Dallas with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.

There's little McCarthy can do in mid-November about the glaring weaknesses on the Dallas roster. He confirmed on Thursday that he's moving away from a running-back-by-committee approach and instead will have Rico Dowdle serve as the club's primary ball carrier. 

"I think this is an incredible opportunity for this football team, what’s in front of us," McCarthy added. "To be into this valley of adversity, to come out of this would be a great story. There’s a ton of work, and the only work we’re really focused on is beating the Houston Texans, but this is a great opportunity for us, and I tell these guys repeatedly, just enjoy this. This is something you can really learn from for the rest of your life." 

How McCarthy's players respond to such a challenge could determine whether he finishes the season with Dallas. As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Cowboys as 7.5-point underdogs against the Texans.