Based on whatever logic we have, there are a few things that seem to be locking up in 2024. Aaron Rodgers will do something stupid again, oppenheimer It'll win the Academy Award for Best Picture, but we'll keep pushing toward a certain fate — and the Cowboys will move on from Mike McCarthy.
Sunday night was not a disappointment. It wasn't a shock. These terms imply a certain level of surprise.Dallas participated in the game vs. packers A team that always fell apart in the playoffs, kept getting kicked from post to post by a 9-8 team with a predictable deep ball offense, an inconsistent running game, and a decent defense, but certainly nothing. There wasn't. I will write about.
this should It was a game that Dallas had dominated so far, but deep down I knew it wasn't going to be that way – failure has become the Cowboys' way.
Jerry Jones said this Cowboys loss was one of the biggest surprises since I've been involved in sports. “I'm floored.”
— John Machota (@jonmachota) January 15, 2024
Mike McCarthy was not the architect of this collapse, just the latest administrator. For the third year in a row, he has made the Cowboys one of the best regular season teams in the NFL, but for the third year in a row they have lost in the early stages of the playoffs. This is different, this is a different hit. In 2021 and 2022, the Cowboys 49ers, a team that is always pegged as the favorite to win the Super Bowl. It was disappointing to lose to the Niners, but it was well deserved. It's the kind of football move that makes you want to say, “Okay,” but falling to the Packers is on a whole other level.
The man before him suffered the same fate. Jason Garrett was far less consistent, but he too lost three times early in the playoffs before being given a chance to play. Twice against Aaron Rodgers' Packers, who were considered a good team, and once against Sean McVay's upstart Rams, who would go to the Super Bowl.
There's no good way to explain it why The reason the Cowboys are falling apart like this is because they focus on one consistent factor: coaching. It's understandable that Dallas chose McCarthy to lead the team after Garrett, because this guy has a Super Bowl ring. But that didn't explain why the Packers consistently underperformed in the playoffs under McCarthy.
This was the organization that Aaron Rodgers carried weapons with for several days at its peak. From 2011 to 2016, the Packers lost early in the playoffs. 6 times in a row, often to teams that were not favored to beat them. This team was a team that won 10 or more games in 9 of the 10 times they made it to the playoffs. Although they rarely came from behind, McCarthy's overall playoff record with Green Bay was a paltry 10-8, dramatically inflated by a 4-0 record in the 2010 Super Bowl. Ta. Other than that, they lost more times than they won and collapsed more often. , disappointed fans when it promised so much.
Winning in the playoffs is tough. Too many coaches have suffered from the same curse of dominating the regular season but reverting to pumpkins when all is on the line. Except for one man…
Photo by Rich Burns/Getty Images
Rumors have been swirling about Belichick's possible destinations since it was announced earlier this week that he would not be returning to the Patriots. Josina Anderson reports that two playoff teams may consider changing coaches depending on results. –After that, there was even more speculation that Belichick would be on America's Team.
Is hiring Belichick the right move for the Cowboys? That's the million dollar question. There's no question that Belichick is an absolute master at maximizing talent and helping players reach their full potential. This person is the antithesis of the Garrett/McCarthy problem. 30 wins and 12 losses in the playoffs. Of the 18 times he led his team to the playoffs, only four lost in the first game, two of which came after Tom Brady.
That is the question.
It's too reductive to say Brady is the sole reason for Belichick's success, but there's something to be said for how he's built the team as general manager since the GOAT left. Building around Brady was a no-brainer. everyone Looks good. Having someone other than Brady under center obviously makes that more difficult.
This doesn't mean it doesn't work. Bill Belichick and Jerry Jones can find a way to coexist, Bill can take a coveted backseat when it comes to college scouting, and Jerry can deal with not being the organization's sole focus. Then maybe this strange marriage will work out.
Belichick is 15 wins away from passing Don Shula as the winningest coach in NFL history. Taking over this Cowboys roster will do that quickly, and if that's not enough, if Belichick can get this team over the hump, he could bring Dallas its first Super Bowl in 30 years. he will become a legend. .
There's no guarantee Belichick would be interested in the job even if it became available, but what else is this team supposed to do at this point? Their roster is too well-constructed to warrant tearing it down, and if a young coach steps in, they could end up having the same problems McCarthy had with playoff runs. That's terrible. At this point, Belichick may be the best option for a team looking to get over the hump, and that's where the drama begins.
Winner: Houston Friggin Texans
From one Texas team to another, texans No matter what happens next, their flowers. Other than the Lions, no other team in the NFL has made such a huge turnaround in such a short amount of time. This feels like a very similar situation with them on the brink of dominating the division for the foreseeable future.
Everything this team is working on is turning into gold, and sadly for Cleveland, they've only gotten in the way. CJ Stroud is a genius in Bobby Slowik's offense. This isn't meant to be a disparagement of the No. 2 pick or to overstate what Slowik is doing, but rather a compliment to both. This is a pair that understands each other on a fundamental level.
Houston is a team with intent. A team that knows exactly what it is and how to achieve that goal. They hired DeMeco Ryans, who can hit home runs, as their head coach, and the team is responding.
no one has dismantled it browns A defense like the Texans have had this season. They rolled Stroud out with a naked bootleg and used his mobility to disrupt the pass rush, softening the impact of Myles Garrett. Combined with deep ball accuracy, the Browns didn't have an answer.
Loser: Dolphins
What should I say here? Miami had a tough test in Kansas City due to the weather, but this team has struggled against good teams all year. This is a young organization with a lot of promise, but the team needs to do some soul searching defensively in the offseason to fix this, so they won't be the next Cowboys who can't break through to the next level. there is no.
Winner: Andy Reid's Frozen Mustache
Just beautiful.
Winner: Detroit Lions
I don't know what else to say. This is the first time since 1991 that this team won a game in the playoffs and had a big win at home. Dan Campbell's team continues to thrive and you can't help but love their story.
If you're not a fan of another team in the NFC North and your team is eliminated from the playoffs, it's hard not to root for the Lions as they continue to shock the world and bring pride to Detroit.
