Why Sean Payton wouldn't be answer for heartbroken Cowboys fans
Cowboys fans are clamoring for Sean Payton after the latest questionable coaching decision by Mike McCarthy.
As strong a coaching candidate as Payton is, though, he may not be the best to get Dallas past its postseason misery.
In the Cowboys' divisional-round loss Sunday, McCarthy OK'd one of the more bizarre plays in postseason history.
In a last-ditch move that backfired phenomenally in the final seconds, running back Ezekiel Elliott snapped the ball to QB Dak Prescott before he was trucked by 49ers linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
Prescott quickly passed to KaVontae Turpin, who was tackled immediately, sealing the game for the 49ers.
Even though McCarthy likely saw the play during practices, he still loved it enough to trot it out as the Cowboys' last-ditch effort to save their season.
Afterward, owner Jerry Jones said the loss had no impact on McCarthy's job status.
That didn't stop several people from clamoring for Jones to make a run at Payton.
Payton is a Super Bowl-winning coach who never wore out his welcome with the Saints, as McCarthy has with Dallas.
In New Orleans, Payton left after five consecutive winning seasons and four division titles from 2017-21. His offenses finished first in yards six times and in the top five in points nine times.
Jones' team, however, is looking to escape confounding coaching blunders and heartbreaking endings, so Payton might be the worst possible choice.
In a critical December 2007 game at home against Tampa Bay, Payton called a trick play while the Saints were up, 23-20. The call belongs in the cathedral of bad coaching decisions.
Running back Reggie Bush attempted to flip the ball to wide receiver Devery Henderson on a reverse, but it failed and Tampa Bay recovered the loose ball. The Bucs scored a touchdown on their ensuing 37-yard drive and won, 27-23.
Payton admitted when he left New Orleans that play call was one of the biggest regrets of his career.
It didn't kill his aggressive spirit, which is partly why he was able to lead the Saints to their only Super Bowl berth and victory.
But Payton's aggressiveness came back to bite him several other times, most notably in the playoffs.
Moments before the "Minneapolis Miracle" in the 2017 divisional-round loss, he made his infamous SKOL clap, mocking Vikings fans.
In the "NOLA No-Call" 2018 NFC Championship, a 26-23 loss to the Rams, he called two pass plays after the two-minute warning in a tied game.
Instead of forcing the Rams to burn their final two timeouts and running time off the clock, New Orleans gave the ball back to Los Angeles with 1:41 remaining and one timeout. Kicker Greg Zuerlein attempted the tying field goal with 19 seconds left in regulation.
The no-call on a clear pass interference against the Saints was the headline of the game, but Payton's play-calling allowed the referees to become a factor in the first place.
Knowing the Cowboys' luck over the past 27 seasons, it's just as possible that Payton would only add to the team's heartbreak.
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