On Sunday night, the NFL world was still processing what it had just seen in the Dallas Cowboys ’ head-scratching 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Wild Card Weekend.
Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones did not (really) comment on the future of head coach Mike McCarthy after Sunday's failure, but that void of information leads to speculation, and speculation leads to narratives. Right now, the narrative is that some form of change is coming within The Star.
Just ask former Dallas head coach and current "Sunday Night Football" analyst Jason Garrett. After working under Jones in one form or another for 13 years, he knows the headline-grabbing personality as well as anyone. After hearing Jerry's quotes on Sunday, he expects a change, even if it's a small one.
“He’s very disappointed in this team," Garrett said. "I think he had sights that this could be a team that reached the Super Bowl, but he will support the coaches, he will support the players in the next 24-48 hours. After that, they’re going to have some internal discussions. If he doesn’t feel like the team has achieved its potential, what changes do we need to make? I don’t know what those are, but something’s coming.”
Garrett's studio partner Chris Simms was less "restrained" with his comments. Not only does he think McCarthy is probably gone, but he wonders if the coach is throwing his own hands up in this situation after the loss.
“I expect a drastic change," Simms said. "If I’m Mike McCarthy, I’m going, ‘Do I even want to do this anymore? This is kind of crazy.’ Players in the locker room, do you trust Mike McCarthy after three one-and-done seasons? That’s tough.”
And do you want to see how fast narratives move? Another member of the "SNF" crew is none other than Devin McCourty, a player who spent 13 years playing under Bill Belichick in New England. Belichick, of course, is the "hottest" name on the lips of football fans as a potential replacement for McCarthy in Dallas.
“And if Bill Belichick is the guy that comes in here, this team will never show up for a playoff game like that," McCourty said. "That’s one thing I promise you. But I do think if they had the opportunity to get Coach Belichick in there, you don’t turn that down.”
Maybe that's a little biased on McCourty's part. Maybe, but if anything, these comments illustrate what the sports world expects from an owner who has proven to be quick-acting on coaches: they expect some kind of movement in the coming days.
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