The Cowboys were the only home team to lose in the wild-card round of the postseason. They were the only betting favorite to lose.
As much as they seem to want to blame officials for their loss to the 49ers, the Cowboys have only themselves to blame. With 14 penalties, a turnover, five sacks allowed, 3.7 yards per rush and some all-around lackluster play, the Cowboys were lucky it was even a game with 14 seconds remaining.
It does not, however, appear anyone will pay for the loss with his job.
Coach Mike McCarthy said he twice has met with owner Jerry Jones — once immediately after the game and again Monday — and does not see his future with the team as an issue.
“We had very positive conversations and, just, the focus is on the evaluation process,” McCarthy said, via Todd Archer of ESPN.
Jones said Sunday that a change of coaches was “not on the table,” and executive vice president Stephen Jones reiterated that on his radio show Monday.
The Cowboys are 18-15 in McCarthy’s two seasons, and, if he indeed returns, McCarthy will go into 2022 on the hottest of hot seats.
“I think for people in this profession, it’s accepted,” McCarthy said. “It’s part of the job. I get that. I understand why you’re asking the question. It’s part of the job. You have a job to do, and I have a job to do here today in answering your questions appropriately and respectfully. But, yeah, I don’t put a lot into it because I know personally what I put into this.
“I understand what goes on here every day. I know how to win. I know how to win in this league. I know how to win playoff games. I know how to win a championship. So I have great confidence in that. What we’ve built here in two seasons, I feel very good about, and I think with that you just stay true to that. The hard part is the personal. We all have kids, so that’s the part that I don’t like. I would hope people are respectful to that.”
The Packers won the Super Bowl in 2010 with McCarthy as their head coach. But in his 10 seasons since, he is 5-7 in the postseason and his teams missed the postseason three of his past four seasons.
McCarthy is 29-31-1 his past four seasons as a head coach, though Aaron Rodgers played only seven games in 2017 and Dak Prescott only five games in 2020. But 2010 was a long, long time ago, and McCarthy can’t get the Cowboys closer to the Promise Land in 2022, he isn’t likely to get a fourth season in Dallas.