5 Mike McCarthy replacements for the Cowboys that aren’t Sean Payton

It’s no secret that Mike McCarthy hasn’t been a popular coach for the Dallas Cowboys. When he was hired ahead of the 2020 season, it felt as though Jerry Jones was reaching to the past (as he usually does) rather than trying to keep up with current NFL trends.

Now, one week into his third year with the team, McCarthy has proven that he can’t get his team ready to face true contenders. That has him squarely on the hot seat once again. We know that many are hoping Sean Payton will ditch his broadcasting career to return to the Cowboys, but that likely wouldn’t be until at least next season.

In this article, we will look at five options that aren’t Payton that the front office should keep an eye on.

5 Mike McCarthy replacements for the Cowboys that aren’t Sean Payton

5. Dan Quinn, DC, Dallas Cowboys

In 34 games, McCarthy is just 18-16 as the head coach in Dallas, but it would be much worse without Dan Quinn. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach joined the Cowboys as the defensive coordinator ahead of the 2021 season and completely turned the unit around.

Dallas went from a 6-10 franchise in 2020 to a 12-5 club last year. While it’s true they were without Dak Prescott for much of that season, they still weren’t winning with him since the defense was giving up points at will.

Even in their loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday night, Quinn did his job. While the offense, led by Kellen Moore and McCarthy, was awful, Quinn’s defense held Tom Brady and a stacked Tampa Bay offense to just 19 points.

Things might not have ended well with the Falcons, but Quinn has proven he knows how to get the most out of his defense, and with the right offensive coordinator, he could find success with a second shot as head coach.

4. Mike Kafka, OC, New York Giants

Dallas fans know all too well how good Andy Reid is when it comes to play-calling. The former Philadelphia Eagles coach also has an impressive coaching tree, which is why it always makes sense to kick the tires on anyone who has worked under him.

Enter Mike Kafka, an assistant coach that should be on the radar for any team looking for a coach in 2023. After spending five seasons with Reid in Kansas City, even winning Super Bowl following the 2019 campaign, Kafka joined Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

In their first game with the G-Men, the new offensive minds in the Big Apple had quite the debut. They led one of the more stagnant offenses from 2021 to a come-from-behind victory over the favored Tennessee Titans. Not only did they get two touchdowns from Daniel Jones, but they also helped Saquon Barkley look like himself again as he had 194 total yards, a touchdown, and the game-winning two-point conversion as the coaches went for the win instead of the tie.

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If nothing else, the fact that Kafka has now worked for two head coaches that have no problem taking big risks should entice the Cowboys. For too long they’ve been known for playing it safe and even with lesser talent, the Giants went all-in and were rewarded for it.

3. Brian Flores, Senior Defensive Assistant, Pittsburgh Steelers

Brian Flores got a raw deal with the Miami Dolphins. In three seasons, he was 24-25 as the head coach with two winning campaigns back-to-back in 2020 and 2021. Miami did miss the playoffs in each of those years but that was due to the AFC being stacked rather than a failure from Flores.

Despite the success he had, the Dolphins fired him in the offseason. Flores later sued Miami as well as two other teams and the NFL itself for bias in coaching searches.

While Flores didn’t land a new head coaching job this year, he did end up in an excellent spot as the senior defensive assistant and linebacker coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not only will he work for one of the best-run organizations in the NFL, but he will also get to learn from head coach Mike Tomlin.

The Steelers’ current head coach has never had a losing season in 15 years and is beloved by his players. Flores is also well-regarded, as pointed out by Myles Jack, who loves how much Flores understands the game.

Another reason to believe in Flores was the way he got the most out of his team despite there being a lot of background noise. While they were starting Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins were constantly said to be targeting Deshaun Watson.

There were also reports that Flores himself wasn’t sold on Tagovailoa as the future of the team. Even so, he ignored all the noise and led his team to some success. Dallas, which always has a lot of noise, could use such a calming presence.

2. Thomas Brown, Assistant Head Coach, Los Angeles Rams

Stealing coaches from winning teams is always a smart idea. That was seen when the Green Bay Packers took Matt LaFleur from the Los Angeles Rams. They had instant success as they won 13 games in each of his first two seasons.

Zac Taylor was another protege under Sean McVay who took the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl in his third season, nearly knocking off McVay and the Rams. Brandon Staley is another example, as the Los Angeles Chargers head coach has done well since switching teams in the City of Angles.

That’s why Dallas would be smart to see who is the next potential star under McVay, and that could be Thomas Brown. Formerly the running back coach in L.A., Brown took over for the tight ends this season while assuming the assistant head coach role.

A former running back from Georgia, Brown was a sixth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2008 and then spent 2009 and 2010 with the Cleveland Browns. He then held several different positions throughout the collegiate ranks before making the jump to the Rams in 2020.

Now armed with a Super Bowl ring, the 36-year-old is a hot name to watch. Even though Jerry Jones thinks coaches need to have previous experience as a head coach, teams have had much more success looking for a young up-and-comer.

1. Byron Leftwich, OC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On Sunday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made things tough on the Cowboys’ offense. As for their defense, things weren’t easy on that side either.

While Dallas did keep the points to a minimum, the Bucs continued to take chunks of time off the clock as they used the run game to wear the defense down and keep the offense off the field. That played a huge part in keeping them from ever getting into a rhythm.

Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich deserves credit for this as he once again proved to be a solid play-caller. A former starting quarterback for Jacksonville, Leftwich is one of the top candidates to be a head coach in 2023 according to Dallas Robinson of Pro Football Network.

"“Leftwich was viewed as the favorite to land the Jaguars’ head coaching gig this offseason, and he reportedly held contract talks with Jacksonville before negotiations fell apart. Instead of returning to the team that drafted him, Leftwich will stick in Tampa Bay for at least one more year.” – Robinson, PFN"

Not only did he nearly win the job with the Jaguars, but Leftwich had a shot at being the head coach in Tampa as well. They wound up going with Todd Bowles, who was also a great choice, but that could lead to Leftwich being poached.

Dallas would be wise to be the team that tries to steal him, giving them a young coach who is much more in-tuned to today’s game than McCarthy has proven to be.

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