Jerry Jones addresses Mike McCarthy’s future after playoff loss
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spoke to the media immediately following a 23-17 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and he was not happy. After a wild and controversial ending, the future of several coaching staff members remains in question with Mike McCarthy’s seat seemingly hot and both coordinators scheduled to take head coaching interviews elsewhere.
Jerry Jones’ opening thoughts on the loss, and perhaps in a larger sense the season, were plain. “Extraordinarily disappointed,” he said, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
However, with the Dak Prescott run and referee snafus in the final seconds unchangeable, the offseason begins. One key decision for Jerry Jones and the brain trust of the Dallas Cowboys is the future job security of Mike McCarthy.
“I don’t even want to discuss anything like that at this particular time,” said Jones, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “That’s not on the table. The game speaks for itself.”
If the Cowboys decide to move on and hope to promote from within using either offensive coordinator Kellen Moore or defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, they must have the discussions Jones avoided soon to fend off other franchises with a head start. NFL teams currently looking for a new head coach include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders.
Controversial finish ends Cowboys season
The Cowboys season came to an end in an incredibly disappointing fashion after a controversial moment involving the officiating crew. After a scramble for extra yards with time expiring in the game, the Cowboys attempted to spike the ball for one last pass attempt into the end zone.
The official must touch the ball before it is snapped by the offense, by rule. As Prescott and his line did not give the referee the football, the official fought his way through the linemen and reset the ball’s position himself. As he pushed through the line and forced Prescott and the line to move their feet, the ball was unable to be snapped as the referee was not clear of the play.
Adding to the controversial finish, the referee involved in the final play was involved in a similar strange moment earlier in the game as well. After a successful fake punt that earned them a first down, the Cowboys left their punting unit on the field in a strange formation as they attempted to get San Francisco to burn a timeout on the play.
As the 49ers did not bite on the attempt, Dallas substituted their personnel with the offense and tried to snap the football. The same referee involved in the final play of the game stood in the middle of the field to make sure the defense was given time to set. He appeared to stand in the way for a much longer time than needed, and the Cowboys received a delay-of-game penalty as he hurried out of the Cowboys’ way.