The last time the Dallas Cowboys had back-to-back seasons of at least 12 wins was the last time the franchise won the Super Bowl. Herein lies the issue for Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy, with a nod to Dak Prescott, a high-level defense, some smart acquisitions and a great early-season cameo from Cooper Rush, has coached the Cowboys into the kind of position where the team’s fervent fan base feels it belongs.
His reward? Dealing with the elevated expectation that comes with it.
Cowboys fans have waited a long, long time for the glory days to reemerge and the merest sniff of major success is enough to throw the diehards headlong into an altered mindset.
They’re hungry in Dallas, and all the other places where football fans profess love for The Star, because it feels to them like opportunity is here to be taken, as long as things are handled right.
This may not be based in common sense, or statistical probability, but when the Cowboys have seasons in which they win 12 games, some fans think that equates to being on the doorstep of a championship after a three-decade interlude.
That, as much as anything, is a byproduct of supporting a franchise that is constantly in the news, always feels relevant and has an owner in Jerry Jones who is a master at speeding up the hype train, whether it needs accelerating or not.
The pressure that’s coming is for McCarthy to tackle. No pats on the back are given for following up a pair of 12-5 seasons with a 10-7. Or, indeed, with another postseason exit where things just don’t fire up properly. Consecutive disappointments at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers led to severe hand-wringing and questions about the intricacy of the offensive system.
McCarthy is taking that weight on his shoulders and, in one sense, that’s just how he likes it.
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Should we expect Dak Prescott to improve with Mike McCarthy calling plays?
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It was January of 2020 when McCarthy was announced as head coach in Dallas, and his hiring raised some eyebrows immediately. The surprise stemmed from him revealing he would not be calling offensive plays, despite having previously commented in Green Bay that he’d never again pass up those responsibilities.
And so it was for the past three years, before offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was ushered out at the end of last season, Moore’s plight not helped by the attempted trick play that ended the divisional-round defeat with a whimper.
Now McCarthy will be the decision-maker on offense, and has already made it clear that he’ll accept a reduction in flashiness if it means more ball security. Last season Prescott threw 15 interceptions, despite missing five games with injury.
“I don’t desire to be the No. 1 offense in the league,” McCarthy told reporters. “I want to be the No. 1 team in the league with the number of wins and a championship. If we’ve got to give up some production and take care of the ball a little better to get that, then that’s what we’ll do, because we have a really good defense.”
The Cowboys have added a high-quality receiver in Brandin Cooks while cornerback Stephon Gilmore is a worthy addition to a talent-rich defense that keeps getting better.
As for Prescott, he seems firmly in favor of the new set-up, that sees him more directly involved with McCarthy.
“Just having that clear communication, being able to work with him day in and day out, it’s new,” Prescott said. “It’s refreshing. It’s fun for both of us.”
The Cowboys appear well set-up to attack the new season, but things are never quite as simple as that. No Cowboys fan enjoyed seeing the Philadelphia Eagles, their NFC East rival, make it to the Super Bowl and come close to winning it all.
With the New York Giants also rejuvenated, the division is far removed from the cesspool of ineptitude it portrayed as for several recent seasons, as Dallas found out last year, with 12-5 only good enough for the No. 5 seed on account of the Eagles’ surge.
McCarthy looks content and positive and likes how his squad shapes up ahead of the new campaign. He’s gotten what he wanted — a group that’s battle-tested, a defense that’s the envy of most teams in the league and the play-calling future in his own hands.
Yet this is Dallas, where failure brings recrimination … but optimism begets impatience. The Cowboys fan base likes what it sees and is more than ready for the payoff. That’s why McCarthy, even with things progressing smoothly, is a man under pressure.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
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