Are significant changes coming to the Dallas Cowboys following Sunday’s Wild Card Round loss to the Green Bay Packers? Team owner Jerry Jones hasn’t thought about it.
Jones met with reporters after the game, which saw the Cowboys trail by 32 in the fourth quarter before a pair of late touchdowns cut the final margin to 48-32. He acknowledged that he was “floored” by the loss.
But when the subjects of coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott came up, Jones didn’t have too much to say.
“I don’t have any thoughts about the reasons why or anything to do with the coaching. Anything to do about the players,” he said.
After crediting the Packers for their performance and talking about how stunning the loss was, Jones reiterated that feeling.
“I won’t get into any of the addressing of any aspects of any part of it,” Jones said. “From the coaching to the players to what’s around the corner.”
When asked specifically when he’ll talk with McCarthy, he said, “I haven’t thought about it.” The following question was about Prescott’s performance. Jones again said, “I haven’t thought about it at all.”
Jerry Jones with a lot to say, including that "he's floored" by Sunday's loss to the Packers but hasn't thought about what it means long term for anyone, specifically Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott. pic.twitter.com/H8tkEJYxOE
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 15, 2024
Dallas has enjoyed success under McCarthy. In fact, the present run is the first time that the Cowboys reached the playoffs in three straight seasons since going six straight years from 1991-1996, a run that produced three championships.
But in some ways, that success is a double-edged sword. Dallas has had limited success in the playoffs, winning only five playoff games since 1995’s Super Bowl-winning season. The Cowboys have also not returned to the NFC Championship Game since that 1995 season. And while a lot of that playoff futility came before McCarthy’s arrival, the last three seasons have produced a dubious mark.
Cumulatively, the Cowboys have the NFC’s best record from 2021-2023, going 36-15 with a 12-5 record in each of the three seasons. But, as Jenna Laine of ESPN noted, the Cowboys are the first team in NFL history to win 12 games in three straight seasons without reaching a Conference Championship Game.
The Cowboys are the first team in NFL history to win 12 games in three straight seasons and fail to make the conference championship in any of them.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 15, 2024
So, whether it’s McCarthy and Prescott leading the Cowboys in 2024 (and beyond) or another coach/quarterback duo, there will be a lot of pressure to produce not just in the regular season, but also in the playoffs.
[Jenna Laine on Twitter/X]
