In today’s NFL, coaches are basically soldiers of fortune. They go into each contract knowing they’re mercenaries, and when things suddenly go south their metaphorical execution can be stunningly swift.
That’s especially true of Mike McCarthy of the Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars head man Doug Pederson. Both coaches entered the season with a modicum of job security, but now they’re staring over the edge of the firing precipice after their sudden reversals of fortune.
Mike McCarthy is a victim of his team’s unpredictability
Dallas entered the season as Super Bowl contenders, and when they jumped out to a 3-0 record they certainly looked the part much of the time. Dak Prescott was throwing darts, CeeDee Lamb was catching bombs, and the defense did its part by mounting a ferocious pass rush.
That was then, this is now. There’s a reason the NFL stands for “Not For Long,” and the Cowboys three-game losing streak has owner Jerry Jones issuing meaningless quotes about McCarthy’s future, including the dreaded vote of confidence that was tepid at best.
The fact that McCarthy is in the final year of his contract makes it’s especially likely that he’s going to walk the plank. He knowingly entered this season in limbo without even a one-year extension, and like almost every other NFL coach he’s been down this road before.
What makes McCarthy’s situation even more dire is the kinds of losses the Cowboys are experiencing. Yesterday’s 47-9 beatdown by the Detroit Lions was a mirror image of Dallas’s 44-19 thrashing at the hands of the Saints a while back, and the Cowboys two wins over the mediocre Steelers and the struggling Giants were both alarmingly close.
Why Jerry Jones is waiting on firing McCarthy
Jones has talked often in recent years about his loyalty to his coaches, and this year is no exception. The McCarthy hiring was almost universally panned, but there is a logic of sorts to what Jones is doing now.
Simply put, he’s been here before, especially with Dak Prescott. Dallas has had awful stretches, then engineered brief comebacks. This might be one of them, and the Cowboys owner seems willing to wait and take the heat for the moment.
Whether this is another one of those lulls remains to be seen. The Cowboys will try to regroup during their bye week, but after that they visit the 49ers. Last year they were embarrassed in San Francisco. If that game goes sideways, it might be another nail in McCarthy’s coaching coffin, especially with a road date against resurgent Atlanta next up after that.
There is another factor in this. Rumors about Bill Belichick possibly being tabbed as an in-season replacement for McCarthy have been swirling ever since the Patriots fired Belichick, and he’s been hovering over every NFC East coach in his steady stream of media appearances. That means there’s a ready-made solution at hand if Jones wants to pull the trigger.
Doug Pederson’s “culture change” quote is a classic example of an NFL coach in denial
There’s not nearly as much to say about Pederson’s situation. We’ve had time to digest what’s happening with the Jags and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and at this point the situation looks unsalvageable.
While the downfall of a once-successful coach can be painful to watch, it does provide some entertaining moments. Pederson’s descent definitely falls into that category, especially given some of the quotes he’s delivering now when pressed about his job status.
Specifically, Pederson’s comment about wanting to change the Jags’ culture is borderline bizarre. He’s the guy who did the reset after the Urban Meyer disaster, and he had every opportunity to overhaul or upgrade it during in the offseason and training camp.
The eyeball test tells a very different story here. It sure looked like the Jags simply gave up when Chicago got going and Caleb Williams shifted their offense into overdrive. Pederson looks absolutely morose on the sidelines, to the point where he seems to have accepted his fate.
Cue the appropriate clichés. The in-season coaching carousel has shifted into fast forward, and Pederson’s quotes smack of whistling in the dark. The Jags coach should take some time to enjoy his brief stint in the UK, because he might not have a job when he returns to Florida.