"It's your job to set the tone" - NFL analyst grills Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy for showing lack of initiative
Dallas Cowboys fans may still be in shock over the way the team's season ended. Plenty are calling for Mike McCarthy's job, but Jerry Jones has seemingly made it clear that no change is coming.
But McCarthy did himself no favors this week when speaking with the media. He never shouldered much of the blame and even came out and directly said he felt his team was nervous before the eventual loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The head coach's comments have the entire NFL world talking about him. The analysts on ESPN's Get Up chimed in as well. NFL insider Dan Graziano made a great point about McCarthy and his supposed role.
"You don't call the offense. You don't call the defense. What do you do if you're not prepared? I mean, like that's your job is to set the tone."
Graziano said what plenty of Dallas fans were thinking: what exactly does McCarthy do?
A frustrating end to a hopeful season for Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys rolled through their competition during the regular season en route to a 12-5 finish. They won the NFC East with ease and got a home playoff game as a reward.
So why were they so nervous? That either speaks to a lack of leadership in the locker room, from the coaching staff, or both. Conversely, the 49ers showed no signs of nerves although they were the underdogs.
Who wants to see the doors open for the 49ers? (Sound on) https://t.co/rBiU3fvO7Q
The main storyline following the game was the way it ended. The offense ran a draw and Dak Prescott did not allow enough time for the referee to spot the ball in time to run another play.
McCarthy suggesting that he felt his team was nervous is a whole new wrinkle to the postgame fallout. That is why it makes sense why analysts like Graziano are so confused about the coach's comments. Mike Greenberg has also openly said he was "flabbergasted" by the comments in the same segment.
The Cowboys are now in a state of flux because both of their top coordinators, Kellen Moore on offense and Dan Quinn on defense, are receiving a lot of head coaching interviews. So if McCarthy is not calling the offense or defense, can he have success without his top assistants?
That's a question that won't have an answer until late in the 2022 season. Because even if Dallas get off to a hot start like they did this season, fans are still going to be wary of what can happen when the postseason begins.