We pointed out earlier this week
that the Cowboys assistant coaches
were having their contracts, expire, all, but four members
of the staff, including coach, Mike McCarthy, had contracts
that were going. Bye-bye. Now, five of those assistant coaches
going, bye-bye, not coming back next year. Senior defensive
assistant George Edwards. Running backs coach skip Pete,
offensive line coach Joe Philbin, the former
Dolphins head coach assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett
you met. Remember him from that Dolphins, Cowboys. Thanksgiving
game from 1993 and also Super Bowl coach Rob Davis. Yeah,
now? Yeah, exactly.
Okay. So,
You make the argument, not you, I'm saying, generally,
the argument has been made Mike McCarthy. Why should be on
the hot seat? They've won back-to-back twice. They've had
12,
they've had back-to-back 12 wins Seasons. I knew I would
eventually get it right back-to-back. 12, win seasons.
Why would you fire him? Okay, fine. Why would you fire my
five members of his staff? Well, they weren't fired their
contracts expired.
They weren't given new contract. It's the same damn thing.
Your services are no longer required. Please pack your s***
and leave. That's what those five assistants are being
taught. Can't reconcile keeping McCarthy and dumping five
members of his staff. Feels like a half measure to me,
I would agree with you. There
it does have the feel of like, hey, head coach. I'm okay with
you but there's some things I didn't like and I like you got
to make some changes on the staff. These areas got to
improve,
right? That's what it does feel like I mean it is it's kind of
surprising into the point you're making here
and 12. When team,
you know, played a team that we look at the Super Bowl caliber
and played them to the finish and had their quarterback,
really make to horrible mistakes in the game. And big
reason they lost it, you know, I feel like you don't usually
see these kind of aggressive moves
and after a season like that
I'm with you. It has the feel of like hey, you better
shake some things up here
or maybe I'll shake you up out of town. That's what it does.
Feel like a little bit.
Now know
we would be remiss to not point out the possibility, because we
don't know things happen behind the scenes, all the time. What
was happening behind the scenes? A year ago? The
Dolphins were trying to line up
Sean Payton and Tom Brady.
It was happening
in this same time frame and nobody had any idea it was
going on because you don't advertise it, it's happening.
I say that because consider the circumstantial evidence
Five members of the staff out.
There hasn't been an affirmative postseason. Yes,
Mike McCarthy is coming back statement. There was the Jerry
Jones Heat of the Moment. This doesn't change how I feel about
McCarthy, then you've got Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones, cancel
their radio appearances.
When is Jerry Jones ever? Turn down the chance to talk?
When is it ever happened?
No,
that's shocking. Is this? Yeah.
My point is this
you don't just fire Mike McCarthy. If you're Jerry
Jones, you don't just fire, Mike McCarthy until go find
a better Coach, you're going to move on from McCarthy if you
know who you're going to get.
So you need to know that you're going to get who you want to
get before you move on from the guy that you've currently got.
And coincidentally all of a sudden it feels like the air is
come out of the Sean. Payton balloon with Arizona
Denver Carolina Houston.
I mean,
we wouldn't know.
That, for example, if this is happening, the Cowboys are
trying to work out, a deal with the Saints for Sean Payton.
Jerry Jones is trying to work out a deal
with Sean Payton, for how much he would pay him.
And all that's in motion before you pull the pin on the Mike
McCarthy grenade, because that's how it would go. You're
not giving up the bird in the hand until you know you're
getting the two in the bush. If we can't get Peyton,
we're keeping McCarthy
but we're not going to fire McCarthy
and enter this Arena of interview, this guy.
Interview that guy interview that guy interview that guy,
we're going to find a coach and hope it works. So I just
this is all circumstantial evidence and it may be
ultimately evidence of nothing but we know from history and
experience stuff goes on behind the curtain
four years ago. It was going on behind the curtain
where Jones was trying to get Sean Payton then and it fell
apart and we never knew about it until Playmakers came out
last year. So
we don't know what's happening.
But we do know that five coaches
from a team that won 12 games in back-to-back years
have been asked to leave.
There's something weird about that there is
because it should be good enough to continue
if 12 + 5. + 12 + 5 should be good enough to keep your staff
in place. I would think so. Yes. And again, as long as
you know, the Sean Paden
situation hovers over the NFL and he's not linked to a team,
you know? Unfortunately Generally for Mike McCarthy and
and you know his family and everybody this is going to be
a constant conversation here it is because of you know yeah
the knowledge of what you've said that we know there was
you know some things being put in place behind the scenes
already with the Saints and Sean Payton and
Sean Payton worked for the Cowboys and there's
always been a love affair. It seems like between Jerry Jones
and Sean Payton and we both heard you know
through the room ervil of people, we know in the NFL that
Sean, Payton is always kind of had his eye on the Cowboys
a little bit. So there's just all of that. It's not really fair
to Mike McCarthy, that's the nature of the Beast. He's done
a very good job, the last two years he has, we just talked
about that, they exceeded expectations,
but you got a guy in Jerry who's getting old and he's
getting antsy and he's never been one to pay the coach when
they've been fired. But maybe he's getting to the point here
where he's getting
antsy and he would do that
and that's why we're talking about this and it just all
seems a little peculiar to your point.
Is Leon. Hess Leon has put it as bluntly as possible. I'm not
gonna live forever. I want to win and we saw how upset Jerry
Jones was after that game. You pointed it out. It looked like
he was ready to cry after
they lost to the 49ers.
I can't believe they actually convince themselves. They had
a chance to win that game, but you know what they did. That's
what makes it hurt in a hurts worse
to lose by 7 with two opportunities in the final,
three minutes to tie the game and maybe win it with a two
pointer and hurts more to have that. Happened in Toulouse 38
27. Because, at least when you lose 30, 827, you've had three
hours to get accustomed to your fate.
So, yeah. It was tough. It was difficult and
you can't take it with you. I think Jerry understands that
and he's got a lot of it to leave behind his kids are taken
care of their kids are taking care of their kids are taken
care of
their kids are taken care of.
So all we got to pay. Mike McCarthy did not coach
the team. So what we got to pay Sean Payton 20 to 25 million
a year to come coach the Cowboys
so what it's all a write-off
and if you want, if you want
to get back to the NFC Championship exciting about
winning the Super Bowl at this point, it's about just getting
back to a damn NFC Championship in Jerry, Jones lifetime, if I,
if I was him,
I mean, there's a lot of things I would do if I was him to
probably would make the team even worse. But I would
definitely be considering what it's going to take to get this
team to the next level because what they're doing now
Chris hidden working. Well. Okay. Alright good. Well,
I mean I know we're going to take a break but so like you would
you do it? Would you go? See you see him Mike McCarthy doing
you would
I do it? Yeah, I do. I would, I would I would hire Sean Payton.
I would line it up. I would work out the best. I could with
the Saints
and I'd pay Sean, Payton, 20 million a year.
And I'd say, let's, let's take this. Thing. Next level, let's
come in here and let's button these things up. Let's take
care of these details. Let's have real plays ready for these
final moments of the game's not some stupid ass quarterback.
Draw, that doesn't take into
account that, the Umpire can't teleport through two bodies.
Not this crazy ass is eql it playing Center like it's and
love football and he gets his ass blasted onto the ground and
they don't get a chance, they're gonna get a chance,
a Stanford band playing, it doesn't even get a chance
to you. Don't get a chance to start the tuba or the trombone.
The you know, the slide. You don't even get a chance to
slide the trombone on the Stanford band. It's just
done. It was embarrassing. Yeah well I would do it I would do
it but again Cowboys fans everywhere
for his frustrated you maybe that Jerry Jones
is the guy making the decisions, it could be worse,
it could be me making the
hit, subscribe for the latest news and Analysis from pro
football talk.