Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys entered Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the midst of a four-game winning streak.
Despite star quarterback Dak Prescott being out since Week 1, the Cowboys have been able to keep pace with Philadelphia to an extent.
Unfortunately, the ‘Boys were outclassed in pretty much every way during the first half of their game against the division-rival Eagles in Philadelphia.
How bad was it? Starting quarterback Cooper Rush completed 5-of-16 passes for 36 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. The second pick into the hands of star Eagles cornerback Darius Slay was especially bad as Dallas found itself down 20-3 through 30 minutes.
As for Mike McCarthy, he made a decision in the second quarter that confused the masses. On third and nine with less than 10 minutes remaining, CeeDee Lamb seemed to catch a pass from Rush for a first down. Rather than challenging the initial call of it being short, McCarthy had the team go quickly to the line. The fourth-down attempt failed miserably, setting Philadelphia up inside the Cowboys' 35-yard-line. The team would settle for a field goal and a 17-0 lead.
It’s no secret that McCarthy has been an embattled figure in Big D. Short of a deep playoff run, he could very well be out of a job after three seasons with the Cowboys. Those watching the game were not too thrilled with his coaching performance during the first half of “Sunday Night Football.”
Mike McCarthy blasted for Dallas Cowboys’ disastrous first-half performance
How one-sided was the first half of this game? Philadelphia tallied 173 total yards and 12 first downs. Dallas had four first downs of its own with a mere 81 total yards. It really seems like McCarthy did not have his team ready to play in this one. Reactions to the first two quarters tell us this story.
More must-reads: