After the crazy wild card weekend, the Monday morning headlines are expected to be centered around the collapsing dynasty of New England, the Saints losing back to back home playoff games in OT for the first time in NFL history, or the Eagles almost pulling off the unthinkable with father time in Josh McCown. However, with all the playoff talk going on, there needs to be a break in the conversation; head coach hirings.
Eight teams fought for a chance at a championship this past weekend, while a handful of others searched for their new play caller. Cleveland, New York, and Carolina have not found their man yet, but one city has: Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys have hired former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. After interviewing Marvin Lewis and telling Jason Garrett to stop calling them(because they are never, ever getting back together,) Dallas has found their man. McCarthy was a top candidate for multiple jobs, including Cleveland and New York, but will trade in his winter hat for a Cowboy one. Yee. Haw.
McCarthy's experience and accolades lifts Dallas out of the mud Jason Garrett has dragged them through for the past nine years. He brings a record of 125-77-2 in 13 years with the Packers, and won a Super Bowl in 2011 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, his favorite team as a child. Jason Garrett finished 85-67 in nine years with the Cowboys. Yuck.
Along with his outstanding record, McCarthy brings something Jason Garrett dreams about, unity. The biggest issue with the Cowboys this past season was their head coach. They had a top five player at every offensive position, according to Pro Football Focus, and still finished 8-8. Against teams that finished over .500, they finished with a 2-6 record. Embarrassing, Jason. Those losses fall on the coaching and game planning. Something that Garrett struggled with, McCarthy is well known for as a football guy. Peter Schrager said today on "Good Morning Football," that McCarthy has been staying in the Green Bay area working with other out of work coaches and preparing for an opportunity like this. He is a football guy. Jason Garrett is a yes man.
Along with his coaching style, McCarthy is an offensive minded coach. We saw what he accomplished in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers helping him become one of the greatest passers of all time. How will that translate to a conference rival? I talked with John Franklin of the I-80 sports blog about this hire. He began to tell me the time he interviewed Martellus Bennett about who throws that best pass in the NFL. Bennett gave an interesting answer.
"Martellus Bennett told us that Tony Romo threw one of the best balls he caught in his career. The reason is that Tony could throw receivers open better than anyone in the league, and that’s what made Dez’s career so great. Dak can’t throw that ball as well as Tony, and that’s why Dez’s career ended quickly in Dallas." John went on after that tid bit and said that, "Personally, I think McCarthy brings that “throwing open” style to Dallas, and it might be a tough adjustment for Dak."
McCarthy's time with Rodgers helps ease the worries of all Cowboys fans. He is a coach that is not a stooge. He wants to focus on football and nothing else. This will be a bit of a culture shock in Dallas coming from a coach who has been a puppet for a loose cannon owner for almost a decade.
I believe that Mike McCarthy will do a solid job in Dallas. They need a culture change in the locker room. They need a leader to bring them into battle week in and week out well prepared and be the answer the organization needs for their coach staff. He has spent the ENTIRE 2019 season watching film with other coaches, studying trends in the league, different playbooks and analytics, and so much more. He did more prep for games he wasn't coaching in that Garrett did for any game this season. His success with Green Bay will translate to Dallas instantly. Dak needs a QB whisperer and Jerry needs a winner. McCarthy checks both those boxes off. Dallas got their man, now its time to prepare for the 2020 season.