Jerry Jones declares Mike McCarthy to be of consequence

Jerry Jones must be snoozing during Cowboys games if he seriously views Mike McCarthy as the “difference-maker”

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to show us that he’s living on another planet with his recent comments about head coach Mike McCarthy. During his weekly radio show on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones called McCarthy a difference-maker for the team.

“He is the difference-maker, and that needs to be recognized,” Jones said of McCarthy. “I’m really proud of him.”

Apparently, Jones is the only person in the sports world that doesn’t know McCarthy lied about watching every snap of the 2019 season and being all about analytics when the Cowboys hired him before the 2020 campaign. Jones must have also missed those games where McCarthy had issues with clock management.

Just where exactly is McCarthy making such a big difference?

McCarthy’s calling card in Green Bay was calling plays. He’s supposed to be one of the best play-callers in the game. He’s not calling plays now, and the offense has looked good most of the season. The Dallas offense has slumped recently but still has the second-most TDs in the NFL with 54. Thank you, Washington Football Team.

When McCarthy was out because of Covid a few weeks back, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (picked by Jones, not McCarthy) stepped in, and not much changed besides the level of enthusiasm he brought to the sideline. McCarthy feels more like a placeholder coach, much like Wade Phillips was in Dallas from 2007-2010. The worst kept secret in football was that Jason Garrett would be the next Cowboys head coach when he was ready, although it should have been Sean Payton. But that’s a story for another time. It still feels like offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (another Jones pick) is being groomed as the next long-term head coach of the Cowboys.

McCarthy was praised as an offensive genius while coaching the Packers until that began to fall apart. It’s easy to look like a genius when you’re able to coach two top-10 all-time QBs back-to-back. McCarthy should have won more Super Bowls than he did in Green Bay.

But McCarthy will have the opportunity to earn this new label Jones has slapped on him in the playoffs. The time will come in the postseason where McCarthy needs to pull the trigger and make a quick decision that could decide a game. We’ll see what kind of difference he makes then.

I’m not buying Jones’ praise of McCarthy because we know this is all about Jones. Jerry brought in McCarthy, and after year one, it looked like a big mistake. Now that the team is winning with a chance at winning home-field advantage in the playoffs, it’s time for Jerry to toot his horn. You aren’t slick, Mr. Jones; you aren’t fooling anybody.