ARLINGTON, Texas — Eight games remain. Either 54 or 55 days remain in the Dallas Cowboys‘ season, depending on when the regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders is set.
At 3-6, the Cowboys are looking at missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020, having lost more games in nine contests than they did in any of the past three seasons.
After the 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, owner and general manager Jerry Jones made a similar refrain regarding coach Mike McCarthy’s status: “I don’t believe we’ll make a coaching change during the season,” Jones said.
But he did offer up what success would look like as the games go on without Dak Prescott, who is looking at season-ending surgery as early as Wednesday because of a partial avulsion of his hamstring.
“My criteria has always been, ‘How we’re playing. Do we have an edge? Are we fundamentally competitive? Are we competitive when we’re down? Those kinds of things,” Jones said. “Not as much obviously, the score. What does Bill [Parcells] say? You are what the score tells you you are? But still you look at all of those things and there’s no fairness.
“Let me be real clear. Nobody’s trying to be fair here. We’re trying to win a game. And so those are the things I’m looking at to help be a part of decisions that could help us win a game. There’s no joy here without winning games, and I’m very regretful to our fans. Very.”
McCarthy entered the season with high expectations and no guarantee of being the Cowboys’ coach in 2025 since his contract was not extended. The Cowboys posted three straight 12-5 finishes and made the playoffs in three straight years but failed to advance past the divisional round.
The first nine games have been disastrous. Beyond Prescott’s injury, the Cowboys have played four games without their best defensive player (Micah Parsons), five games without their most influential defender (DeMarcus Lawrence), nine games without one of their Pro Bowl cornerbacks (DaRon Bland). They lost their third and fourth pass rushers for the season (Sam Williams) or at least four games (Marshawn Kneeland) because of knee injuries. No. 2 receiver Brandin Cooks has not played since Week 4 due to surgery to remove an infection in his knee. First-round left tackle Tyler Guyton has missed two games, including Sunday’s loss.
Those extenuating circumstances will come under review by Jones.
“Well, I’m aware of the things that have happened to us and the degree in my mind [of] how they’ve influenced things,” Jones said. “And candidly, I take a lot of that into consideration when I’m looking at any individual and coaching especially.”
But …
“There has to be accountability directed to somebody other than just the player. I do that. I do that. And by the way, it’s not without other people giving their input on how those players or how those coaches are coaching too,” Jones said. “This isn’t just stepping out here and me just doing. And you can imagine, I’ve got a lot of people I counsel.”
Jones has made just one in-season coaching change since 1989. It came in 2010 when he fired Wade Phillips and elevated Jason Garrett, who would serve as the full-time head coach from 2011 to 2019.
Jones said he came to regret the Phillips’ move, even though Garrett, who was deemed the coach in waiting, went 5-3 after taking over as the interim coach. Jones also came to regret firing Chan Gailey after two seasons (1998-99) in which he made the playoffs.
“You need to give yourself a chance,” Jones said. “I’ve had a lot more rope than that in my time. I haven’t had anybody pull that short on me.”
Jones called McCarthy a “heckuva coach” and a “great coach, in my mind. And [he] has and should have the opportunity to do better than we’re playing right now.”
Jones said he expected the offense to do better, even without Prescott. He does not understand why the Cowboys have faltered in the second half of games. He is not pinning all of it on the coaches.
“Everybody’s got a hand in this,” Jones said. “And we all know that the players play the game, and we know the closest ones to them are the coaches. Closest one to them are the people that hire the coaches, and so everybody’s got a role in this. Everyone does.
“By the way, that’s no solace to have somebody step up here and say to the fans, ‘That’s my fault. I’ll take this one.’ What does that do? That doesn’t win the ballgame. And so I’m not trying to put that BS out either.”