Could the Dallas Cowboys fire Mike McCarthy midseason?

Every team in the National Football League has that one person who is entering their “prove it” year.  Hey, some teams might even have several. For many, identifying who that is can lead to a spirited discussion full of intrigue, speculation, and hot takes. In the case of the 2022 Dallas Cowboys though, there is one clear answer. Head coach Mike McCarthy is on the hot seat, and he’s entering what promises to be his make-or-break season at the helm of America’s Team.

How did Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys get here so soon?

This isn’t a question of whether or not McCarthy’s seat is hot. It definitely is. Two years of underperforming with the biggest brand in sports will do that to you. Regardless of the injuries or reasoning behind it, a disappointing 6-10 season to open his tenure in 2020 led to much of the fanbase souring on him quickly.

Last season, the Cowboys went 12-5 en route to winning the NFC East and hosting a playoff game. On paper, that should have alleviated some pressure and led to McCarthy entering 2022 with renewed support and confidence. But, not so fast.

Success on paper often fails to translate into real, tangible success. The fact of the matter is that the Cowboys’ offense limped into the playoffs last season, cooling off considerably from their scorching hot start.

Sure, they had two 50-point explosions against NFC East rivals in the final three weeks of the season. However, even at the time, both those games felt like beating up on inferior competition rather than a true sign that the offense was back on track. (That said, is anyone really going to complain when the Cowboys decimate Washington and Philadelphia like that? I know I won’t).

When it finally came time for the playoffs, McCarthy’s Cowboys laid a monumental egg. Dallas lacked discipline, couldn’t execute when given ample opportunity, and failed to take accountability. Fans are going to replay the final moments of January’s Wild Card matchup with the San Francisco 49ers in their head for years to come and not for good reasons. They lost in a flat-out embarrassing fashion.

Additionally, McCarthy’s inability to address penalties continues to haunt the Cowboys. They led the NFL in penalties in 2021 and it lost the team games throughout the season. While two preseason games are far from enough tape to draw conclusions about 2022, the early returns haven’t exactly eased concerns.

Do bogus calls go against the Cowboys? Absolutely! Do they happen 12+ times a game? No, they don’t. But, it’s more than that. The Cowboys have been an undisciplined team and have frequently failed to accept responsibility for that. At the end of the day, a team’s lack of discipline ultimately falls back on coaching.

When this offseason came it was…awkward to say the least. There was the flirtation with Dan Quinn, the wildfire speculation about Sean Payton, and who could forget that interview that McCarthy gave to Rich Eisen commenting on his own job status following the Super Bowl in February?

Every season in the NFL is crucial, but all of this sets the stage for what promises to be a put-up or shut-up season for McCarrthy. So much so, that it could lead to a midseason firing. So what are the keys to him keeping his job?