All the Dallas Cowboys news that’s fit to print.
Does Mike McCarthy want to return to the Cowboys? He said it’s a discussion for next week – Charean Williams, Pro Football Talk
The fact that Mike McCarthy’s contract will run out after one more early kickoff against the Commanders is hard to believe, even though it’s been a reality all season.
Executive vice president Stephen Jones said on his radio show on 105.3 on Monday it was a discussion for next week, and McCarthy said the same thing later in the day when asked if he wants to stay with the Cowboys.
“I need to make sure I’m doing exactly what I’m asking everybody else to do: We need to finish the race,” McCarthy said, via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “We’ll have time to talk about that next week.”
McCarthy has received support from former players, including Troy Aikman, and current players, including Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. Prescott endorsed McCarthy again this week.
“Thank you,” McCarthy said of the support. “It’s a reflection of what we have here. . . . We do things the right way. I can attest to that.
“That’s what the offseason is for. I don’t think this week is the time for those discussions.”
Dallas Cowboys insider brings up a great point about Mike Zimmer’s future that everyone has been ignoring – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
Will the Cowboys be able to build on some of the progress they’ve made under Mike Zimmer on defense next year?
“I think one caveat to remember with the Mike Zimmer discussion though, and I think it really came to a head this week, Mike Zimmer was asked by Ed Werder (ESPN), ‘Are you having fun this year?’ and Zimmer joked ‘Oh yeah, I’m having a blast’ (…) In terms of potentially coming back, Zimmer said ‘We’ll see at the end of the year.”
“I don’t think it’s a guarantee that Mike Zimmer is really having a great time being a defensive coordinator in the NFL again,” Hoyt added.
Zimmer will be 69 years old when the 2025 NFL season kicks off. It should be noted that he spent 2021 and 2022 as an analyst/consultant to Deion Sanders at the college football level after parting ways with the Minnesota Vikings. If Zimmer truthfully didn’t enjoy his return to the NFL, he could always move on. There’s no contract stopping him from doing so.
“It’s been hard, I’m not going to lie about that,” Zimmer candidly said last week. “It’s hard, it’s been hard.”
Cowboys big loss against Eagles shouldn’t change perceptions about Mike McCarthy – Jess Haynie, Blogging The Boys
What’s one more blowout loss on this 2024 season anyway?
The recent 4-1 run seemed to create new believers in McCarthy’s leadership, or at least allowed existing ones to be more vocal. And while Dallas’ enduring fight in a lost season has been admirable, some were too easily forgetting why the Cowboys were 3-7 to begin with.
There was a bit of fool’s gold in those four wins, particularly in the form of the Giants and Panthers. The victories over Washington and Tampa Bay certainly weren’t void of virtue, nor was the narrow loss to the Bengals. But Sunday’s trip to Philly was the first time since the last Eagles game in Week 10 that Dallas had to go up against an elite squad, and the disparity showed.
As you know, Jalen Hurts didn’t even play. But that didn’t stop the Eagles from embarrassing the Cowboys in a big way. Somehow, it was an even bigger blowout than the first meeting when Rush was getting his first start of 2024 and Hurts was active. That’s how out of sorts Dallas was in Philadelphia, struggling with turnovers, penalties, and a lack of offensive firepower made worse by poor situational decisions.
But that’s Mike McCarthy, folks. That’s the guy Packers fans weren’t sorry to see leave in 2018. That’s the coach who’s had his rear handed to him in three straight playoff eliminations. Once an opposing coaching staff has his number, he doesn’t know how to change the equation.
Cowboys somehow lead the NFL in this important stat – Mario Herrera Jr., Inside The Star
Despite losing a lot of pass rushers in free agency and doing little to replace them, the Cowboys have seen in-house options step up on the defensive line.
Pressure on the quarterback is the name of the game, and even though the Cowboys didn’t get to Kenny Pickett, you’d be surprised to hear that the Cowboys lead the NFL in sack rate percentage this season.
Mind you, these stats are from before the conclusion of week 17, so they have likely changed. However, you can’t deny the Cowboys leading the NFL with a whopping 9.45% sack percentage over the last three games. That stretch is likely what catapulted them to #1 in the league.
How Could They Have Accomplished This?
To the casual fan, the Cowboys leading the league in sack percentage while Micah Parsons is on the team is not a remarkable feat. However, to those fans who keep up with the team all year long, and not just when the lights are bright, we know that the Cowboys overcame insurmountable odds.
The position most responsible for pressuring the quarterback and generating sacks is the defensive end position. Dallas was hit hard by free agency and the injury bug in that exact position room.
Trey Lance, Will Grier are ‘ready’ as Cowboys contemplate roadmap for finale – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys final game at AT&T Stadium for the year may feel more like a preseason exhibition.
And as the Dallas Cowboys look to wrap up their tumultuous 2024 season against the Washington Commanders, head coach Mike McCarthy faces the question regarding the status of Trey Lance — i.e., will the former third-overall pick see significant playing time against in the finale?
“I really like what Cooper has done and I think we all have to recognize the job he’s done to this point,” said McCarthy on Monday. “But this is the time where you do think about — not just the quarterback position, but all the positions — making sure we do have information on our younger players. Frankly, we probably have a lot based on how much [the non-quarterbacks] have played.”
As McCarthy went on to explain, the decision is simply not yet made.
2025 NFL Draft order: Patriots vault to No. 1 overall after Giants upset Colts – Dan Parr, NFL.com
The Cowboys are sitting just outside of the top ten entering the final week of the regular season.
Pick 13
Dallas Cowboys 7-9 .508
Week 18 opponent: vs. Commanders (11-5)
Mike McCarthy’s chances of leading the Cowboys to a fourth straight winning season were crushed by the Eagles on Sunday. Six weeks ago, it looked like Jerry Jones’ franchise would be picking inside the top 10, but Dallas is destined to end up somewhere in the middle of Round 1 after winning four of its last six.