Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn't do Mike McCarthy any favors Sunday.
Jones didn't silence speculation that McCarthy will need to prove he can get the Cowboys over the hump in the postseason and coach them deep into the playoffs.
“I think his record speaks for itself,” Jones said. According to John Macciota of The Athletic:. “I think it says it all, given what he’s done and we’ve been in this position for the last three years. We have a lot of football left, but Mike can contribute in no small part. … Let’s see how each game goes.”
The Cowboys have fallen short in each of the past three seasons, missing the playoffs altogether in 2020.
In 2021, the Cowboys lost to the 49ers in the wild card game despite winning the NFC East.
The 49ers defeated Dallas again in the NFC divisional round last season.
The lack of success in the playoffs and the embarrassing nature of being eliminated from the playoffs appears to be too much of a burden for Jones, who hasn't been to the Super Bowl since 1996, when Dallas last won.
ESPN's Adam Schefter report League officials and some within the Cowboys organization said Saturday that they believe McCarthy's job security will be measured by the team's performance in this year's playoffs.
“If the Cowboys do well in the postseason, McCarthy will have a great chance to save his job,” Schefter wrote. “But some say change could come for Dallas if they struggle and end the season with an embarrassing loss, as has happened in each of the past two years.
“Either way, the situation remains unstable, and both the Cowboys and McCarthy have a lot to prove, fair or unfair, against Washington on Sunday and in the postseason.”
With Sunday's victory over the Commanders, the Cowboys clinched their second NFC East title in the past three years.
Dallas will face the Packers in the NFC wild-card round, but Cowboys star Dak Prescott is eager to show he's more than just winning a division title.
“It was great to win the division. I'm proud of these guys. … It's been a great year, but it's certainly not over yet,” he said. told Erin Andrews After the match.
