The Dallas Cowboys got embarrassed in the wild-card round. The defense gave up over 40 points, and Dak Prescott and the offense didn’t help. From start to finish, it was complete domination by the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys were undefeated at home, making this their first loss of the season. Owner Jerry Jones said after the game he was “floored” by the team’s performance.
#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declined to comment on the specifics of his looming decision on coach Mike McCarthy’s job status. McCarthy has one year left on his contract.
Jones did say this is as bad a loss as he can remember. “Floored,” he said. https://t.co/pRHaPJUwXZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 15, 2024
Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones “Floored” By Team’s Performance
The immediate question from every reporter was what would happen with certain players and coaches. Jones wouldn’t comment on any specifics but did reveal he was very surprised by the performance of the team. “This seems like the most painful [playoff loss] because we all had such great expectation and we had hope for this team,” Jones told reporters after the loss. “Thought that we were aligned and in great shape and it didn’t happen for us.” He was “floored” by the performance.
What Happens Next?
It wasn’t that the team lost. It was how they lost. After being down 27-0, the Cowboys tried to fight back by making it 27-10 midway through the 3rd quarter. That was about as close as the Cowboys got for the rest of the game. While the Cowboys made a late push, the game was over before the fourth quarter even started. It seems likely that Mike McCarthy is going to be fired. The team was underprepared, and that is on coaching. The more interesting question is what the team will do with Prescott. He had a great regular season but once again came up short in the playoffs.
Jerry Jones will have to go back to the drawing board to get back to the Super Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys have gone nearly three decades without making it out of the divisional round. Something has to change or the drought will likely continue.