Mike McCarthy says 'didn't coach very well' in the Cowboys' loss Monday. His players reportedly agree
The Dallas Cowboys had to play their first game without quarterback Dak Prescott on Monday night, and to say it didn’t go well would be a massive understatement. It was clear early on that Prescott’s replacement, Andy Dalton, wouldn’t come anywhere close to replacing the injured quarterback. Ezekiel Elliott fumbled the ball twice in one quarter, and both of those turnovers led to touchdowns.
The Cowboys lost 38-10, and it was a bad night all around. Not just for the players, but for the coaches. Head coach Mike McCarthy’s postgame comments didn’t inspire confidence, and now his players are anonymously giving quotes about the coaching staff.
Spoiler: they’re not happy.
McCarthy: ‘I didn’t coach well’
After the game, McCarthy uttered the phrase that never, never makes a coach look good after a blowout loss: we were so prepared.
Mike McCarthy after Cowboys’ 38-10 loss to the Cardinals: “I felt like our preparation coming into the game was our best this year.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 20, 2020
Preparation is meaningless if no one can execute on the field. And according to McCarthy, everything was bad — including him.
Mike McCarthy: “We didn’t play very well on offense, defense or special teams. Most importantly, I didn’t coach very well. I have a continuing issue with ball security on my football team.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 20, 2020
Not only did the Cowboys fail in the basic areas of football, McCarthy admitted that his coaching was yet another albatross around the neck of this flailing team.
Unhappy players slam coaching staff
When things are going that bad on the field, it’s just a matter of time until it spills over and affects the team off the field. Nine days after Dak’s injury and just one after their first post-Dak loss, we have our first whispers of discontent from the Cowboys that have surfaced to the public, via NFL Network reporter Jane Slater.
#Cowboys players initially bought into keeping things internal. Now as they sit 2-4 the discontent is leaking out. On the coaching staff “totally unprepared. They don’t teach. They don’t have any sense of adjusting on the fly.” Another “they just aren’t good at their jobs”
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) October 20, 2020
Jerry Jones still has faith in McCarthy, Cowboys
Team owner Jerry Jones gave his evaluation of McCarthy in a Tuesday radio interview, and the longtime football man still has faith in his new head coach.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan giving his assessment of Mike McCarthy’s coaching this year: pic.twitter.com/aIUSqzC3wy
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 20, 2020
He wasn’t as effusive about defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.
Jerry Jones when asked on @1053thefan about Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Nolan: “I’m OK with Mike Nolan. I am.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 20, 2020
“I’m OK with Mike Nolan” is what you say when you’re actually thinking “let’s reverse the spin of the Earth, go back in time, get this guy off my staff, and maybe that will stop the Cowboys from losing.”
Stephen Jones, Cowboys vice president and Jerry’s son, made a very good point about the Cowboys: they may be struggling, but they’re in a division that’s the equivalent of a full dumpster on a 95-degree day.
Cowboys VP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan: “Everybody deserves to and has thoughts, but we have a lot of confidence still in this team and believe we can turn the corner and we’ll continue to get better. We’re in a division that right now, we’re still in it.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 20, 2020
The division is such a hot mess that the 2-4 Cowboys are still in first place. If they can get themselves together, they could win the division easily. At this point, that’s a pretty big “if.”
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