Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images From the field to the locker room, Mike McCarthy’s influence on the Cowboys isn’t working. Another week, another embarrassing home loss for the Dallas Cowboys. A predictably one-sided, 34-6 defeat from the Philadelphia Eagles hardly moved the needle on where the team is at this season. But how the loss happened further indicates just how badly Dallas needs to move on from head coach Mike McCarthy. You don’t lose by 28 at home without a group effort, but McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer’s offense was more complicit by far. Between Cooper Rush and Trey Lance’s work at quarterback, Dallas managed just 49 passing yards and a 49.1 passer rating against Philly. Five turnovers, four fumbles and one interception, showed the Cowboys’ offense to be completely out of sorts. As we’ve harped on all season, a lack of ingenuity in design and play-calling didn’t give Dallas’ outmatched roster any chance against the Eagles’ superior talent. It was only 14-6 at halftime because the defense did their best. DeMarvion Overshown was a menace, Micah Parsons returned with solid work, and Trevon Diggs got one of his classic interceptions to stop an Eagles drive in the endzone. But even with such a manageable halftime score on paper, there was never a point that you felt much hope of Dallas pulling off the upset. This void of optimism is directly linked to McCarthy. There’s no sense that he has a handle on things anymore, either in the X’s and O’s of running an offense, head coaching basics like clock management and challenging plays, or managing the team’s chemistry and culture. Parsons’ well-covered postgame comments may not have been intended to blast the coach’s effort, but the words still came out the way they did. And the reason they resonated is because McCarthy does seem like a guy who’s phoning it in. Or worse, a guy who’s now so bad at his job that you can’t tell the difference. We never saw the team look this bad, on the field or backstage, under Jason Garrett. We never saw Cooper Rush look this bad when Kellen Moore was offensive coordinator. People want to make such a big deal about McCarthy’s three-straight seasons with 12 wins, but let’s not pretend that Garrett wasn’t a 2015 Tony Romo injury away from a similar feat from 2014-2016. McCarthy’s highs haven’t been any higher than previous coaching regimes, and his lows are starting to look much lower. A midseason firing probably isn’t happening at this point. Jerry Jones seems more stubborn than ever about doing things his way, whether it’s blinding his own players with sunlight in the stadium or hanging on to a head coach who’s team is just not competitive. What Jerry decides here is about what he wants to do, not what he should do. He should absolutely fire McCarthy. He should have done it after the playoff loss last January, but at this point there’s no room for debate. The entire atmosphere around the team has become putrid and dragging your fans through two more months of garbage is just negligence. Firing McCarthy isn’t about saving this season but rather saving some goodwill for the future. We’ve reached the “it can’t get any worse” point with Mike McCarthy’s run in Dallas. Getting outclassed by the next generation of coaches is one thing, but now he’s proven to be counter-productive to winning football games. Maybe that’s what you want if you’re focused on 2025 draft positioning, but it could cost you the morale and loyalty of your roster and fanbase along the way.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images While not shocking, reports are starting to swirl that Mike McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys beyond this season is in doubt. The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle, nine games played with eight to go, of one of the more frustrating seasons that they have had in quite some time. Games played these days seem to only exist as opportunities for the opponents to rack up points and experience joy while the Cowboys themselves float in the wind and set historically bad mark after historically bad mark. Put simply this is one of those seasons, we have all lived through them, that you just can’t wait to see end. When this whole thing does reach its merciful conclusion it would shock no one for Mike McCarthy to not be asked back for the future. It is important to note that while this feels obvious based on everything, there have been no media reports on the matter as this being the case. Until now. Mike McCarthy’s future with the Dallas Cowboys after this season is (obviously) in doubt Five years ago the Cowboys were similarly lifeless across the important parts of their season. Jason Garrett’s hallmark as the team’s head coach was that the team “never quit on him” which finally began to become the case as the wheels truly fell off. You will recall that Garrett was never fired by the Cowboys. The team’s stance was that they were not renewing his contract, and what’s more is that they literally interviewed candidates while he was still technically holding the post after the 2019 season ended. Could we be in store for something similar with Mike McCarthy? That specific detail remains unclear. People like ESPN are reporting that it would “surprise” a lot of people to see McCarthy back. Again, not shocking at all, but that it has reached this level of discussion is the next part of the process. Graziano: The Cowboys are coming to grips with the fact that their 2024 roster wasn’t what they thought it was, and quarterback Dak Prescott being out for the rest of the season because of a hamstring injury brings home the fact they aren’t likely going to the playoffs. So they’re already talking about what to do to fix things. I was in Dallas over the weekend, and there’s a great deal of chatter about who might be coaching the team next year, as Mike McCarthy is not signed for 2025. It would surprise a lot of people to see him back. Jerry Jones has made it clear he won’t change coaches during the season, so McCarthy will at least get to coach out the season. Back in January, when Jerry Jones first announced that McCarthy would return, we noted that Jones has not fired a head coach at the conclusion of a season since he fired Dave Campo after the 2002 campaign. Does this mean anything specific? Obviously not. But it does somewhat speak to the idea that the Cowboys do not want to rock the boat as their head coaches in that time have (in order) retired from coaching (Bill Parcells), been fired midseason (Wade Phillips), not had their contract renewed (Jason Garrett) and will likely not have their contract renewed (Mike McCarthy). Some would say that this behavior represents a patient franchise and that such a disposition is good for a club. That may be fair on some level. But others would offer that this speaks of indifference and an unwillingness to do anything beyond the bare minimum. It is hard to argue against that overall idea with this team right now. Whatever the case. the writing is now firmly starting to appear on the wall for Mike McCarthy.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images As of this moment, Mike McCarthy is still gainfully employed as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. That said, the odds are rapidly increasing that the coach’s contract will be allowed to expire at the conclusion of the season, as the Cowboys are in the midst of a four-game losing streak and facing the reality that Dak Prescott will miss the rest of the year. This begs the question of who might replace McCarthy when, not if, the job becomes available. Looking around the league, there are quite a few hot names in the coaching world that could be contenders in Dallas. While there will surely be some interest among fans in plucking a coach from the college ranks (Deion Sanders, anyone?), Jerry Jones has been pretty adamant that such a move can’t work in the modern NFL. Without further ado, and as the regular season keeps on rolling, here are 10 names to watch as potential candidates for the top job with America’s Team. Ben Johnson Current role: Lions offensive coordinator The skinny: Ben Johnson has been the hottest head coaching candidate for a while now. He’s built one of the most explosive offenses in the league over the last three years, turned Jared Goff’s career around, and frequently makes opposing defenses’ heads spin with his game plans. Why it’ll happen: Johnson’s name will be at the top of every hiring team’s list. Jerry Jones believes the Cowboys deserve the very best – it’s why he swooped Mike McCarthy out from the Panthers last time around – and he may throw everything he has at landing the biggest name Why it won’t: Johnson has been picky in previous hiring cycles. He was reportedly the frontrunner for the Commanders job last year, but took himself out of consideration over concerns with the new ownership group not being committed enough to football. The Cowboys’ own fans don’t believe Jerry Jones is committed enough; will Johnson? Bill Belichick Current role: TV analyst The skinny: Everyone knows who Bill Belichick is. Arguably the greatest head coach of all time and winner of six Super Bowls, Belichick parted ways with the Patriots after going 29-38 following Tom Brady’s departure. He’s done several football media gigs this past year, reminding everyone of his incredibly deep knowledge of the game. Why it’ll happen: This seems like a no-brainer for Jerry Jones. Both he and Belichick have talked in the past about nearly working together at various points, and Belichick reportedly has built a good relationship with Stephen Jones from their time together on the NFL Competition Committee. Why it won’t: For starters, he’ll be 73 years old when the new season kicks off. How much longevity does Belichick have? Also, Belichick had total control of the roster in New England, and he wouldn’t have that in Dallas no matter what promises Jones makes to him. Bobby Slowik Current role: Texans offensive coordinator The skinny: The son of longtime NFL defensive coach Bob Slowik, Bobby Slowik started out as a defensive assistant in Washington on a staff that included Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, and Mike McDaniel. Later, Slowik joined Shanahan’s 49ers on defense before switching over to offense. After rising through the ranks, he followed DeMeco Ryans to Houston last year to run the offense and immediately saw success with rookie C.J. Stroud. Why it’ll happen: The Shanahan coaching tree is hot right now, and Slowik hails from it. His quick success with the Texans has made him a hot commodity, and his football bloodline helps. Plus, he could modernize the Cowboys offense, something it seriously needs right now. Why it won’t: Slowik is just 37 years old and his second season running the offense hasn’t been as great as last year. There’s a feeling that Slowik still needs to marinate as a coordinator before making the jump. And the Cowboys are not a team that can wait for a head coach to learn on the job. Aaron Glenn Current role: Lions defensive coordinator The skinny: A former star defensive back, Aaron Glenn has enjoyed similar success as a coach. He oversaw the development of several star defensive backs in New Orleans before becoming a key figure in the Lions rebuild under Dan Campbell. He’s had multiple head coaching interviews in the last two cycles and it seems to be a question of when, not if. Why it’ll happen: Glenn is a Texas native that played for the Aggies. He also played for the Cowboys in the Parcells era. He even has front office experience, having been the GM of a startup league team based in Houston before two years as a scout for the Jets. Why it won’t: Glenn hasn’t been as picky as his fellow coordinator, Ben Johnson, but he also isn’t in a rush to leave Detroit. He’s also very close with Parcells, as is Dan Campbell, and that could color his perception of what it’s like to be Jerry Jones’ head coach. Brian Flores Current role: Vikings defensive coordinator The skinny: Brian Flores grew into a coaching star under Belichick, holding a variety of front office and coaching positions with the Patriots. He turned it into the Dolphins head coaching gig, where he became the first coach in nearly two decades to post consecutive winning seasons for the Dolphins. Despite that, Miami fired him, and the reasons why are a point of contention. Since then, Flores had a one-year stint with the Steelers before going to Minnesota, where he’s turned the Vikings from one of the league’s worst defenses to one of the very best. Why it’ll happen: Flores offers much of the same appeal of Belichick – grit, accountability, experience – but at nearly half his age. His Dolphins tenure will prompt plenty of questions, mostly around the offense, but Flores’ last two years working under Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has granted him access to the Shanahan/McVay directory of offensive coordinator candidates.

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images The latest news around the Dallas Cowboys. Cowboys sign Will Grier to the practice squad – Tommy Yarish, DallasCowboys.com The Dallas Cowboys 2024 season is all about bringing the band back together. It’s a homecoming for Grier, who departed the Cowboys under emotional circumstances in 2023 after the team traded for Trey Lance, which put the writing on the wall. Grier won Dallas their final preseason game against the Raiders knowing that he wouldn’t be part of the organization going forward, throwing for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 31-16 victory. “It’s been tough, but I’ve been through tougher stuff, I got a lot of respect for this organization and the Jones family, I understand that it’s a business at the end of the day…” Grier said following the win over the Raiders in 2023. “The hardest part on me is just leaving this place to be honest, I got really close with the team, that stuff’s part about what we do.” And now, Grier is back in the building with the Cowboys after bouncing around the league in stops with the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, and most recently the Philadelphia Eagles. The corresponding move to add Grier to the practice squad was releasing undrafted rookie defensive back Emani Johnson. An important note regarding Grier’s addition is that since he was added to Dallas’ practice squad, he can’t be the emergency quarterback. Grier can still be elevated to the gameday roster and be the backup or third quarterback option, but for the “emergency” designation to be applicable he has to be on the active roster. The Cowboys would have to make a spot on the active roster in order to get Grier the emergency designation. Jake Ferguson: Dallas Cowboys have to take things one step at a time right now – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys Our very own RJ Ochoa sat down with the Cowboys star tight end to talk all things Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle of a tough season. With a 3-6 record they have their work cut out for them if they want to be playing beyond the regular season, also an obvious statement. We may feel certain ways about the potential or future outlook of this current group, but it is difficult to ever expect the players within the locker room to back down from a challenge in general. Such was clearly the case when I spoke to Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson on Tuesday. It was my first time speaking with Jake and may I say he is as cool and interesting as they come. We discussed a variety of topics which obviously included this season, the infamous sun and Ferguson’s love of football in general. You can watch our interview below: One of the things we spoke about with Jake was his recent partnership with USAA. Ferguson worked with USAA on Tuesday on a controlled fire of a turkey fryer to spread awareness and educate the public on how to stay safe and avoid home fires ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in USAA’s Huddle Up for Home Fire Prevention & Safety campaign. You can learn more about the initiative right here. Something I shared with Jake was that no Cowboys tight end has ever scored a touchdown against the Houston Texans. Obviously we are not talking about 100 years of history here, but that is a bit of a fun fact. Aaron Rodgers Sticks Up for Mike McCarthy After Cowboys’ Fourth Straight Loss – Ryan Phillips, Sports Illustrated Current New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers had nice things to say about his former head coach, Mike McCarthy. Aaron Rodgers is sticking up for his old head coach. During his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers praised embattled Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy was Rodgers’s coach with the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons, and the duo guided the franchise to a win in Super Bowl XLV. When asked about the drama between Micah Parsons and McCarthy in Dallas, Rodgers said, “I love Mike, I love Mike. Mike’s Pittsburgh tough through and through, man. Love Mike, 13 incredible years together, so.” He continued, “I ain’t got much to say besides that, man. Mike’s my boy. I love Mike and you know sometimes some people say things, s— I’ve said a lot of things I want to say back, I’d like to have said back … What I know about Mike is, if anybody can handle that, down there, it’s big Mike. Big Mike is built for, he’s built for adversity.” “I love Mike McCarthy and we had thirteen incredible years together.. He’s my boy and he’s built for adversity”@AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4Gi63oMuMf — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 12, 2024 With Cowboys season unraveling, what is the message inside The Star? – Jon Machota, The Athletic After four consecutive losses, the Cowboys Star doesn’t shine too bright these days. “I enjoy the arena of conflict and being in these types of situations,” McCarthy said Monday, “because these are the years you remember. But it’s time to get it turned. We’ve been in this mode a couple of weeks too long here. But this is a great opportunity for us. No one believes that we can do it, which I think that makes it sweeter. But we need to win a game.” McCarthy had more than the poor performance on the field to address Monday. He met with Cowboys All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons about comments he made after Sunday’s game. Parsons offered a headline-grabbing response in the postgame locker room when asked about McCarthy being in the final year of his contract. “That’s above my pay grade about if Mike is coaching again next year,” Parsons said. “All coaching aside, Mike can leave and go wherever he wants, but guys I kind of feel bad for (are) guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Houston is headed to AT&T Stadium in a very weird spot of their own. 16 key notes from Texans vs. Lions | Harris Hits – John Harris, HoustonTexans.com The Texans’ squandered a 16 point lead in the loss against Detroit. There are losses…and then there are LOSSES. Sunday night’s loss to one of the best teams in the league falls in the latter category for sure. These Harris Hits might be more therapeutic than anything else, so let’s dive into one of the more memorable nights I can remember at NRG Stadium. Keep in mind, memorable doesn’t always have to be a win and in this case, it was not as the 8-1 Detroit Lions roared back from down 23-7 to win the game on a last-second Jake Bates’ kick, 26-23. The atmosphere was unbelievable in the Stadium and I’ll never forget hearing and seeing the Lions and their fans celebrate this win. All night, and into early Monday morning as I write, I read something that resembled “that win can define a season.” Well, a loss can do it too. The Texans have to let this loss fuel a bounce back over the next three weeks before the much-needed bye in week 14. The second half offensive struggles are equal parts mystifying and frustrating and Sunday night was probably the most of either adjective. Two interceptions, a missed field goal and four punts – no points, ten days after kicking just two field goals against the New York Jets. The Texans haven’t scored a 2nd half touchdown since their trip to New England. Alright, it’s tough to keep writing about this game because it was one play here, one play there that could’ve been the difference. Shoot, Jake Bates’ tying AND game winning field goals scraped each of the damn uprights. Two inches either way on either kick? Who knows what we’re talking about in the aftermath of this one? Didn’t happen on this night, though, so time to pick ourselves up and get ready for that team up north. Time to rock and get right again! Texans find themselves on the wrong side history in Week 10 loss vs. Lions – Cole Thompson, USA Today Sunday night was one for the record books in Houston. How bad was the Houston Texans’ blown 26-23 loss against the Detroit Lions on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in front of the hometown crowd? When you dive deeper, it gets worse. The Texans forced five interceptions on Lions quarterback Jared Goff, including three in the first half. They led by 16 at halftime thanks to an 8-yard touchdown run from Pro Bowler Joe Mixon and a 15-yard touchdown catch from John Metchie III. According to Elias Sports Bureau, teams were 373-1-1 when leading by at least 15 and snagging five interceptions since 1933. Then came the second-half implosion and a rewrite in the record books. The Lions became the first team since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970 to beat the odds, joining a Johnny Unitus Baltimore Colts-lead team that secured a 21-20 win over the Chicago Bears on a five-turnover afternoon. “Definitely should have won this game,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “My job is to lead the offense to score points, and I didn’t do that today. … We really should have put them away after the first half. It’s really on the offense.” Houston’s also been outscored 141-82 in the second half of games through 10 contests. “It’s not good enough. Turning the football over there, especially in the red zone, or coming out,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We talked about getting started in the second half, and we talked about being better in the second half. But to come out and turn the ball over on the first play of the second half and to get in the red zone where we have points and to turn the ball over, that’s not winning football.” Joe Mixon wants more aggressive Texans offense after SNF collapse – Michael Shapiro, Chron.com Houston’s RB1 wants to keep the pedal to the metal next time they build a lead. Joe Mixon is perhaps the most vocal player in the Houston Texans locker room, pairing his impressive on-field production with plenty of bombast in front of microphones. Mixon played the role of team counselor in his meeting with the media Sunday night. Houston’s running back offered words of encouragement to both his teammates and Texans fans after Sunday’s 26-23 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. The prime-time defeat was the worst of Houston’s season to date, featuring a blown 16-point lead and zero points in the second half. Many are sounding the alarm after a third loss in the last four weeks, signaling the Texans aren’t legitimate Super Bowl contenders as many previously assumed. Mixon fought back against such an assessment Sunday night. “We’re not going nowhere. When it comes down to it, we know what team that we are. We know what we capable of,” Mixon said inside the home locker room at NRG Stadium. “[I’ve been] in a special locker room [with the Cincinnati Bengals]. We got it here. Trust me, we got it here. … I got the utmost confidence in our guys that we’re going to bounce back.” “That’s a game we should have had, we did have. Obviously, it slipped,” Mixon said. “We [need to] finish these games. We gotta stop playing to not lose and go play to win.”

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Jake Ferguson spoke to us about the current state of the Cowboys and how they need to take things one step at a time right now. The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle of a tough season. With a 3-6 record they have their work cut out for them if they want to be playing beyond the regular season, also an obvious statement. We may feel certain ways about the potential or future outlook of this current group, but it is difficult to ever expect the players within the locker room to back down from a challenge in general. Such was clearly the case when I spoke to Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson on Tuesday. It was my first time speaking with Jake and may I say he is as cool and interesting as they come. We discussed a variety of topics which obviously included this season, the infamous sun and Ferguson’s love of football in general. You can watch our interview below: One of the things we spoke about with Jake was his recent partnership with USAA. Ferguson worked with USAA on Tuesday on a controlled fire of a turkey fryer to spread awareness and educate the public on how to stay safe and avoid home fires ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in USAA’s Huddle Up for Home Fire Prevention & Safety campaign. You can learn more about the initiative right here. Something I shared with Jake was that no Cowboys tight end has ever scored a touchdown against the Houston Texans. Obviously we are not talking about 100 years of history here, but that is a bit of a fun fact. He (jokingly, to be clear, although with serious intent clearly) vowed to break the seal next Monday night. Our thanks to Jake Ferguson and to USAA for the time!