the new methods for responding to inquiries about the quarterback, head coach…
Texas’s Arlington As the top seed in the NFC, Jerry Jones has seen his Dallas Cowboys lose their first round playoff game twice.
The general manager and owner of the team had to watch the Dez Bryant catch that didn’t happen in Green Bay, even though Dallas looked good enough to make a deep run. The Packers won the divisional playoff game following that call.
Still, in the 28 years since the Cowboys last advanced to the NFC Championship Game, it’s difficult to envision a playoff setback more upsetting than Sunday’s 48-32 wild-card defeat to Green Bay.
Jones said, “I don’t want to rank it,” outside a gloomy Dallas locker room. “But I will tell you this was beyond my comprehension.”
When the Cowboys enjoyed a 16-game winning run at AT&T Stadium, they had a shot for at least two home playoff games. In order to smuggle themselves into the last NFC playoff berth, the Packers have to finish 6-2.
Four of the seven Cowboys Pro Bowl players also received All-Pro selections. In his first postseason game as a quarterback, inexperienced Jordan Love was making the Packers’ exit from the Pro Bowl.
The player who made the crucial interceptions, including a pick-6, was Dak Prescott. The absence of turnovers and sacks, which are two things the Dallas defence loves, made them poorer than usual.
Before the game ended, and about when the Packers were leading 27-0 and 48-16, critics had already taken Coach Mike McCarthy’s place.
Jones is unlikely to provide any updates in the near future on that front. McCarthy will not speak with media until he has completed his departure conversations with players, which began on Monday.
That’s not a very uncommon method, but if the press conference doesn’t happen within the next few days, it will start to resemble the last time there was such uncertainty around a Dallas coach.
With his contract about to expire, Jason Garrett waited in uncertainty for a week after the 2019 season and never spoke to media. Before officially announcing that Garrett wouldn’t be returning, the Cowboys spoke with McCarthy.
McCarthy has one more season on his deal. After Dallas parted ways with Kellen Moore after the team’s divisional defeat to San Francisco in the previous season, McCarthy completed his first campaign as Prescott’s playcaller.
McCarthy guided the Cowboys to three straight 12-win postseasons. He is a Super Bowl champion who has led three other teams to long playoff runs in his more than twelve seasons with the Packers.
However, after three seasons like this, Dallas is the only club that has not advanced to the conference championship game.
Jones, who typically makes a radio appearance the Tuesday after the season’s conclusion, said, “I won’t get into addressing any aspects or any part of it. It’s as fresh on me right now as it is on anybody else.” “From the coaching to the players to what’s around the corner.”
QB INQUIRY
Similar to McCarthy, Prescott is approaching the end of his contract year. A reduction in the enormous $59 million pay ceiling that will apply to the eighth-year professional in 2024 is only possible with an extension.
The Cowboys must therefore decide whether to reinvest in a guy who has mentioned himself as the MVP a few times in his career—including this season—but who hasn’t been very reliable in the postseason.
With three of the defeats being in home playoff openers, Prescott is 2-5 overall in the playoffs.
“It’s a shock because as I said to begin with, sure didn’t think this is where we’d be,” Prescott said. “It’ll take a little bit more time to digest it completely, to be honest with you.”
LOW-SHOW DEFENCE
Six of the first seven Green Bay drives ended with touchdowns given up by the Cowboys.
This is the same team that surrendered a drive that would have won the game in a Week 16 defeat to Miami, and if a contested penalty hadn’t occurred a week later against Detroit, it would have done the same. With 23 seconds left, the call negated a two-point convert that had placed the Lions up by one.
With only one sack in his postseason career, star pass rusher Micah Parsons had little effect against the Packers.
NFL-high nine interceptions and a record-tying five pick-6s by cornerback DaRon Bland were a thing of the past. He suffered many beatings after receiving a significant illegal contact penalty on Green Bay’s first possession.
The lacklustre performance even makes one wonder whether Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator, will be able to successfully run for head coach again. The former Atlanta coach is anticipated to interview for other positions, like he did the two years prior to his decision to remain.
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis stated, “I’m kind of distraught.” “You’re not sure how to feel. We most certainly had no idea that we would experience this at this early stage.”
TAKE A CHEQUEBOOK WITH YOU
Lamb, who broke team records this season for receptions and receiving yards, didn’t make his first catch against the Packers until the Cowboys were behind 20-0.
He’s about to reach the last year of his rookie contract, and the Cowboys have until March to execute Parsons’ fifth-year option.
The first-round draft selections’ impending large salaries are a result of both circumstances, and Dallas’ decision on Prescott may have an impact on them both.
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