Following an upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys dropped their next five contests, moving to 3-7 on the season. But the downfall didn't stop there, as quarterback Dak Prescott went down with a hamstring injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
Amid the five-game slump, McCarthy found himself on the hot seat, at least according to fans. But the former Green Bay Packers coach saw his team bounce back in Week 12 with another upset, this time over the Washington Commanders by a final score of 34-26 in one of the craziest fourth quarters of the season.
To cap off a fun Week 12, the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers battled it out on "Monday Night Football." Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman was on the call alongside Joe Buck, revealing his thoughts on McCarthy during the game amid the rough season in Dallas.
"You’ve heard me say it before, but Mike McCarthy is a hell of a football coach," Aikman said on MNF.
#Cowboys HOF QB Troy Aikman on @espn MNF: “You’ve heard me say it before, but Mike McCarthy is a hell of a football coach.” pic.twitter.com/b6QLUUYvSb
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) November 26, 2024
Aikman knows a thing or two about a good coach. During his playing career in Dallas from 1989-2000, the former UCLA Bruins star won three Super Bowls in a four-year span with two different head coaches: Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer.
McCarthy joined the Cowboys in 2020 after a 13-year stint with the Packers. Over the previous three seasons, he led Dallas to a 12-5 record in each but fell way short of the high expectations his team set in the playoffs.
Dallas is entering one of its easiest stretches of the season, with four straight games against opponents with records below .500. Although unlikely at this point, if McCarthy and company can string together a few wins, they may have a shot at a fourth-consecutive postseason.
