Cowboys News: Reaction to Jerry keeping McCarthy, cheerleader lodges Packers complaint, is Dak the new Romo?
The news that Mike McCarthy is staying on as Cowboys head coach is not sitting well with fans or with a lot of observers within the footballverse. McCarthy’s line Thursday about the Cowboys’ “championship program” struck many as out of touch, and Jerry Jones’s decision to stick with what’s comfortable somehow makes a sixth Super Bowl seem even further away. Add in McCarthy’s statements about Dak Prescott and a sneaking suspicion that even Dan Quinn will be back has Cowboys Nation feeling like it’s going to be lather/rinse/repeat in 2024.
Elsewhere, one member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders has come out with an accusation that several Packers players got in the squad’s faces in a disrespectful way during Sunday’s game. And the ghost of Tony Romo seems to have resurrected itself wearing the Cowboys’ No. 4 jersey. We’re looking at how the playoff loss was a boon to TV ratings… but does it just prove that it’s become about all the wrong things in Dallas? We’re still wrapping our heads around what went wrong on the field, we’re prepping for a different kind of championship on the field at AT&T, and we’re mocking offensive help to be on the field for next season. All that, plus a lot more, in this edition of News and Notes.
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McCarthy details meetings with Jerry, Dak after loss :: The Mothership
McCarthy called his exit interview with Prescott “productive” and said it was “more of a continuation of a conversation on a number of different topics.” He reiterated his faith in his quarterback, saying Prescott took another step in 2023 and explaining that the two will be able to build on that growth for next season.
McCarthy: Cowboys have 'established a championship program. It's just not the world championship yet.' :: Cowboys Wire
The embattled head coach said owner Jerry Jones asked “hard, direct questions” during a three-hour meeting, but suggested he never felt he was fighting to keep his job. While McCarthy promised changes for the Cowboys, he declined to elaborate on what they might be, saying only, “I know how to win, and we will get over that threshold. I have total confidence, and that’s why I’m standing here today.”
Jerry Jones wants to win a Super Bowl. He just doesn’t know how. :: The Ringer
Jones has mistaken what a championship run produces with what produces a championship run. After a team wins a Super Bowl, they slide into stability: The head coach, general manager, and quarterback tend to stick around, but by keeping McCarthy in place, Jones is leapfrogging the championship and going straight for stability instead. The Cowboys consistently have a good team, but the franchise is unwilling to risk what is necessary to field a great one. Jones claims he is building a Super Bowl contender, but his actions imply he’s far more interested in ensuring that he never ends up last than he is in maximizing his chances of ending up first.
Jerry Jones turned the Dallas Cowboys into reality TV. Are fans to blame? :: Dallas Morning News
No matter what the Cowboys do on or off the field — good, bad or awful — people can’t get enough. It’s not football; it’s a reality show. Win or lose, the Jerry Jones circus makes for riveting entertainment, and the fans never fail to pack the house. It creates an atmosphere unlike any other in the NFL… and that may not always be a good thing for anyone but Jones.
Cowboys retaining Mike McCarthy for 2024: Dallas coach hopes to keep Dan Quinn if DC not hired as HC :: CBS Sports
There may not be any change at all at the top of the Cowboys coaching staff. McCarthy essentially confirmed he would welcome Quinn back with open arms if he isn’t selected for any of the head-coaching vacancies this hiring cycle, despite the defensive meltdown that surrendered a franchise-record 48 points in their playoff loss to Green Bay.
Cowboys' undersized linebackers were exposed vs Green Bay :: Brian Baldinger
.@packers @Showtyme_33 @dallascowboys what is the Cowboys fascination with playing M Bell 6 yards deep at ILB against an ELITE RB? Is anyone watching how ineffective this is? Go get some real linebackers! Its not fair to #14. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/ij2CSKnoqv
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) January 19, 2024
What went wrong in Cowboys' wild card loss to the Packers :: Cowboys Wire
It was the same old Cowboys on Sunday, letting penalties and poor quarterback play rear their ugly heads early. The Packers out-muscled Dallas and got out to a big lead, and the Cowboys proved unable to back up a week’s worth of big talk once the lights were actually on.
Dallas Cowboys cheerleader says Packers players disrespected them during Wild Card game :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Veteran cheerleader Darian Lassiter claims that several Packers players got physically very close to members of the squad and crossed a line during Sunday’s game. She described how they “would come up to us, standing on the sidelines minding our own business, and start yelling at us… They can’t do that to the Cowboys players or any other players, but they can do it to the cheerleaders and nothing’s going to happen.”
Cowboys' epic flop sparks ratings bonanza on sports shows :: Front Office Sports
ESPN drew record ratings on Monday — fueled by coverage of the Cowboys' collapse:
• First Take: 1.5M viewers, most ever
• Get Up: 979K viewers, most ever
• NFL Live: 937K viewers, 2nd-most ever
• The Pat McAfee Show: 811K TV viewers, most everMORE » https://t.co/OIsBH7COQ5 pic.twitter.com/Naz7bMiqfb
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 18, 2024
Why Dak Prescott has become the Cowboys' new Tony Romo :: ESPN
Romo’s legacy, for many, will always be regular-season success and lingering questions in the playoffs. Prescott has now taken over that storyline. Since 1980, the Bengals’ Ken Anderson is the only quarterback to be his team’s starter for more consecutive seasons than Prescott will have in 2024 (nine) before going to a Super Bowl for the first time. Age favors Prescott’s opportunity for at least another run; he’ll turn 31 in July. Romo was 34 for his final full season in 2014. But Prescott knows what Romo knew before him: Nothing matters if you don’t win a Super Bowl in Dallas.
Cowboys rookies rank dead last among 32 teams in 2023 production :: Cowboys Wire
ESPN put the Cowboys at the bottom of the pile when it comes to quantifying the production of their 2023 rookie class. Most of their draft picks either never made the field or contributed only sparsely. Undrafted free agents like T.J. Bass, Hunter Luepke, an even Tyrus Wheat had more of an impact; kicker Brandon Aubrey doesn’t count as a rookie because of his prior USFL experience.
2024 NFL Mock Draft: Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy both land in top 20 :: The Athletic
Dane Brugler mocks Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton to the Cowboys at No. 24, predicting a possible departure by Tyron Smith and plan to keep Tyler Smith at guard. With the 56th pick, he likes Texas running back Jonathon Brooks. Brooks tore an ACL in November, but the Cowboys’ Dr. Dan Cooper did the surgery himself, and Dallas loves to gamble in the second round.
NFL Scouting Combine to remain in Indianapolis in 2025 :: NFL.com
The combine had been contracted to take place in the Indiana capital city in 2024, but not beyond. Despite a push by some in league circles to make it a traveling event that goes to different cities like the draft, it will officially be back in Indianapolis next year, too, for the 38th straight time. The event generated $9.1 million in economic impact and attracted a record number of fans last year.
Report: World Cup final will be at AT&T Stadium in Arlington :: Axios
The 2026 championship match is reportedly coming to JerryWorld. Jones will have to install a natural grass field in order to host the final and comply with FIFA regulations. An estimated 1.5 billion people watched the 2022 final between France and Argentina.
Super Bowl LVIII pregame festivities headlined by Reba McEntire, Post Malone, Andra Day :: Yahoo Sports
The Cowboys won’t be in the Super Bowl, but they’ll be unofficially represented by one of their biggest fans during pregame festivities. Post Malone will perform his rendition of “America the Beautiful” prior to kickoff in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
