There’s a school of thought that if the Cowboys follow another solid regular season with another one-and-done playoff run, owner/G.M. Jerry Jones may run coach Mike McCarthy out the door.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones shot down the notion that McCarthy’s job could hinge on winning in Tampa on Monday night.
“No. I don’t even want to . . . No,” Jones said, via Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “That’s it. I don’t need to go into all the pluses or minuses. I’ve got a lot more to evaluate Mike McCarthy on than this playoff game.”
Right, but last year’s playoff run ended due to a specific failure of McCarthy to pay full attention to detail. He deployed a quarterback draw that hadn’t been practiced to account for the reality that the umpire can’t teleport through the quarterback and the center to touch the ball before it can be snapped and spiked.
If this year’s wild-card game ends with a similar failure of planning, preparation, and execution that points directly to a failure of coaching, could that make a difference for Jones? At a time when Sean Payton is clearly in play?
Apparently not. Apparently, McCarthy will be back, no matter what.
But here’s the thing about Jerry Jones. He absolutely, unconditionally, and unequivocally supports his coach until the moment he no longer does. Jones wouldn’t even hint at the possibility of moving on from McCarthy until the moment he moves on from McCarthy.
That’s not to say Jones isn’t telling the truth. He genuinely believes, for now, that he’s sticking with McCarthy, no matter what. Come Tuesday morning, Jones could feel differently -- depending on how Monday night goes.
