Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones generated headlines last week when he said it was “not crazy” to suggest he could run it back with head coach Mike McCarthy for another season.
The Cowboys then improved to 5-7 via a Thanksgiving Day win over the lowly New York Giants (2-10). During a Tuesday appearance on Dallas sports radio station 105.3 The Fan, Jones offered praise for how McCarthy has kept the locker room together amid what’s been a frustrating campaign for many involved.
“Quality of character, quality of football character. He’s steady as a rock…” Jones said about McCarthy, as shared by Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys’ website. “He’s genuine. He’s no BS with these players, and I’ve never thought for one second that the team had quit recognizing what an outstanding coach he is.”
Members of the NFL community thought Jones could part ways with McCarthy after the Cowboys fell to 3-7, as the coach remains in the final season of his current contract and will be without injured quarterback Dak Prescott through the end of the campaign. However, McCarthy has since guided Dallas to an upset victory over the Washington Commanders (8-5) and to the win against the Giants.
According to the NFL’s website, the Cowboys began Tuesday with just a 4% chance of making the playoffs. With that said, they next host a 4-8 Cincinnati Bengals side that has lost three in a row and four of its past five games this coming Monday night.
“I think we see the challenge, there’s no question about it, to potentially get in the playoffs. That’s a challenge…” Jones added during his comments. “We’ve got to really play even better than we’ve played the last two games. What’s encouraging is that we can. It starts and stops with our thoughts about Cincinnati. They’re a lot better than their record says they are.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Cowboys as 5.5-point underdogs against a Bengals team that has routinely failed quarterback Joe Burrow. If Cincinnati’s defense produces another stinker at AT&T Stadium in front of a prime-time audience, Dallas could inch closer to .500 before the halfway point of the month arrives.
