“I don’t coach penalties.” – Bill Parcells, 2004
Apparently neither does Mike McCarthy. Unfortunately, the Cowboys didn’t look to be coached on anything Sunday vs. the 49ers.
You could see this coming, couldn’t you? A friend of mine said last week, “I can see the Cowboys losing in the playoffs due to either McCarthy mismanaging the clock or Greg Zuerlein missing an important kick.” It turns out it was bigger than either of those.
Credit to Zuerlein; we don’t have to blame him for this loss. McCarthy though? Well, this game showed why, simply, he has no business being a head coach in the National Football League.
Sound a little extreme? No, I don’t think so.
Jerry Jones should do himself a favor and get Dan Quinn in his office, pronto. He needs to give McCarthy his walking papers and offer Quinn the head coaching job before he bolts to Denver (and even now, that might be too late).
What we saw on Sunday was an absolute disaster – from the first snap when Randy Gregory lined up in the neutral zone – and it was clear which team was coached up and which one wasn’t. Make no mistake – this isn’t a bad San Francisco team. But it’s also not a great one.
Everyone is talking about the last play – you know, when Dak ran a quarterback draw up the middle with only 14 seconds left on the clock and no timeouts. The Cowboys were unable to get another play off. But that play call (inexplicitly defended by McCarthy in the post-game presser) wasn’t the reason the Cowboys lost. This team has no organization, no glue, no structure.
Fans should stop blaming that last play call or the officials for the loss. McCarthy and his inability to provide real leadership is to blame. And you could see it all game long.
Watching the Kansas City Chiefs dissect the Pittsburgh Steelers later Sunday evening was the complete opposite of how the Cowboys operate. Even the Chiefs’ gimmicks and trick plays look smooth and organized. This team is well-coached; Andy Reid might be one of the most underrated coaches in league history (even though he gets his accolades too).
Back to Dallas. Just when they show even a sliver of preparation and creativity, they blow it in little details that make a world of difference. Fake punt pass for a first down in the fourth quarter, and it works (how did San Francisco not see that coming? McCarthy is predictable as hell in those situations. But I digress). The Cowboys planned to keep the punt team out on the field and run another play immediately, not giving the Niners a chance to substitute to their normal defense. But McCarthy and Co. forgot one of the main parts of fakes and trick plays is the sideline – discipline and being in position. Several players celebrated the fake punt play and ran onto the field, making it appear as though there were substitutions going on. The officials, rightfully so, stood over the football to give San Francisco the opportunity to counter. And thus, a mess. The Cowboys not only were unable to run the next surprise play, they also got a delay of game penalty out of the deal.
Coaching matters.
I’m still amazed that Jones hired McCarthy in the first place. Thirteen years in Green Bay, where he was head coach for one Super Bowl winner. I would argue that he massively underachieved with the Packers and won that lone Super Bowl as a result of having one of the best QBs in league history.
Jones has shown a tendency to be over-loyal, and he shouldn’t be with McCarthy. Not with Quinn sitting right there as the best replacement across the entire league. Quinn is going to be a success at his next stop – book it. He made mistakes as a head coach in Atlanta but also should have won a Super Bowl. You can bet that Quinn will learn from his mistakes from that first go-round with the Falcons.
Sunday’s defeat wasn’t caused by actions during the game. This defeat was setup over a long two seasons of consistent lack of leadership from its head coach. Fourteen penalties translates to a lack of coaching, despite what Bill Parcells says. It starts at the top though and Jones is the one who hired McCarthy. Not making a move now simply dooms this team to another non-Super Bowl season in 2022.
It’s your move Jerry. And while you’re at it, see what you can do about using a big ole curtain to block out the western sun for 3:30 p.m. games. But that’s another column.
