How does McCarthy make the Cowboys better?

GORICO

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The biggest question for Cowboys fans is why Jerry insisted on hiring an offensive minded coach in Mike McCarthy for a team that already has the #1 offense in the NFL. It's like he just doesn't understand how important defense is. Is Mike Nolan the answer on defense? Really?

The Cowboys, under both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, fielded the #1 defense in the NFL. Both of them understand what it takes to build a championship team - excellent defense. I am not sanguine about the hire of Mike McCarthy. It is highly unlikely he will materially improve the team over the level of offensive performance that Garrett had in his tenure in Dallas.

Over the 13 years that Jason Garrett presided as either Offensive Coordinator and/or Head Coach in Dallas, the Cowboys' offense ranked 4th in total offensive production (367 ypg), and 6th in offensive points per game (24.3 ppg). Having a productive offense in both yards and scoring was not a problem for the Cowboys under Garrett. (Those who are counting on Garrett to fall on his face in New York are likely to be surprised and disappointed.)

The issue for Garrett as Head Coach is he could never consistently field a good defense. When push came to shove, and when nut-cutting time came in the playoffs, Dallas consistently fielded an impotent defense.

Mike McCarthy had the exact same problem in Green Bay. With the exception of the one year the Packers made it to the Super Bowl as the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs, and upset the Steelers, McCarthy fielded top offensive teams, but consistently poor defenses. Even with All-world Aaron Rodgers, the Packers haven't been able to get back to the big game in a decade.

So, I'm wondering if Mike McCarthy is Fool's Gold for Cowboys fans. How is he not EXACTLY what the Cowboys just got rid of?

As for Garrett, he will not be responsible for the defense for the Giants. If Joe Judge can field a good defense, chances are very high the Giants will be very good very soon. If not, then they will become a carbon copy of what the Cowboys have been over the last 13 seasons. I suppose that for Garrett haters, at least some Cowboys fans can cheer for the Giants to be mediocre. But how does that help the rest of us fans who want another Super Bowl trophy in Dallas?

P.S. I waited two weeks to post this, but the more I think about it, the more I don't like this decision. Jerry is just repeating the mistake he made with Garrett. That's my gut feel. I hope I'm wrong.

Jumbo--- thanks for thinking it through and not just ramble...i thought same thing too...but then i heard MM spent a whole year trying to improve his coaching...i know the GM for packers would not spend money for good defensive
players in free agency....have heard Nolan for the defense had some really good years with different teams.....i cant understand what the heck happened to our defense this year?...essentially an upgrade in players from last year
but we played so weak on defense for most of the games.....to be honest i have lost confidence in cowboy team....but i think Garrett did have a lot to do with it...glad we stopped promoting coaches and got some experienced
coaches...i figure Jerry and Stephen told themsleves they got to do something after watching 2019 fall apart?
 

xwalker

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The biggest question for Cowboys fans is why Jerry insisted on hiring an offensive minded coach in Mike McCarthy for a team that already has the #1 offense in the NFL. It's like he just doesn't understand how important defense is. Is Mike Nolan the answer on defense? Really?

The Cowboys, under both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, fielded the #1 defense in the NFL. Both of them understand what it takes to build a championship team - excellent defense. I am not sanguine about the hire of Mike McCarthy. It is highly unlikely he will materially improve the team over the level of offensive performance that Garrett had in his tenure in Dallas.

Over the 13 years that Jason Garrett presided as either Offensive Coordinator and/or Head Coach in Dallas, the Cowboys' offense ranked 4th in total offensive production (367 ypg), and 6th in offensive points per game (24.3 ppg). Having a productive offense in both yards and scoring was not a problem for the Cowboys under Garrett. (Those who are counting on Garrett to fall on his face in New York are likely to be surprised and disappointed.)

The issue for Garrett as Head Coach is he could never consistently field a good defense. When push came to shove, and when nut-cutting time came in the playoffs, Dallas consistently fielded an impotent defense.

Mike McCarthy had the exact same problem in Green Bay. With the exception of the one year the Packers made it to the Super Bowl as the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs, and upset the Steelers, McCarthy fielded top offensive teams, but consistently poor defenses. Even with All-world Aaron Rodgers, the Packers haven't been able to get back to the big game in a decade.

So, I'm wondering if Mike McCarthy is Fool's Gold for Cowboys fans. How is he not EXACTLY what the Cowboys just got rid of?

As for Garrett, he will not be responsible for the defense for the Giants. If Joe Judge can field a good defense, chances are very high the Giants will be very good very soon. If not, then they will become a carbon copy of what the Cowboys have been over the last 13 seasons. I suppose that for Garrett haters, at least some Cowboys fans can cheer for the Giants to be mediocre. But how does that help the rest of us fans who want another Super Bowl trophy in Dallas?

P.S. I waited two weeks to post this, but the more I think about it, the more I don't like this decision. Jerry is just repeating the mistake he made with Garrett. That's my gut feel. I hope I'm wrong.

The #1 best thing about McCarthy is that he does not have past connections to Jerry.
 

CF74

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Upgrade by 1 more win per year till proven otherwise...
 

ShiningStar

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I think MM gives the Cowboys a fine tuning. I already like the fact he brought in a new staff.

Time to evaluate , make changes , educate and hit FA and the draft.
 

Clove

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If you can't stop anyone, don't even bother showing up. Ask Green bay.
Let's hope what McCarthy is doing is getting his offense rolling fast. We need to stop getting off to a slow start. Because usually once we're up, that's it.
 

TWOK11

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The biggest question for Cowboys fans is why Jerry insisted on hiring an offensive minded coach in Mike McCarthy for a team that already has the #1 offense in the NFL. It's like he just doesn't understand how important defense is. Is Mike Nolan the answer on defense? Really?

The Cowboys, under both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, fielded the #1 defense in the NFL. Both of them understand what it takes to build a championship team - excellent defense. I am not sanguine about the hire of Mike McCarthy. It is highly unlikely he will materially improve the team over the level of offensive performance that Garrett had in his tenure in Dallas.

Over the 13 years that Jason Garrett presided as either Offensive Coordinator and/or Head Coach in Dallas, the Cowboys' offense ranked 4th in total offensive production (367 ypg), and 6th in offensive points per game (24.3 ppg). Having a productive offense in both yards and scoring was not a problem for the Cowboys under Garrett. (Those who are counting on Garrett to fall on his face in New York are likely to be surprised and disappointed.)

The issue for Garrett as Head Coach is he could never consistently field a good defense. When push came to shove, and when nut-cutting time came in the playoffs, Dallas consistently fielded an impotent defense.

Mike McCarthy had the exact same problem in Green Bay. With the exception of the one year the Packers made it to the Super Bowl as the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs, and upset the Steelers, McCarthy fielded top offensive teams, but consistently poor defenses. Even with All-world Aaron Rodgers, the Packers haven't been able to get back to the big game in a decade.

So, I'm wondering if Mike McCarthy is Fool's Gold for Cowboys fans. How is he not EXACTLY what the Cowboys just got rid of?

As for Garrett, he will not be responsible for the defense for the Giants. If Joe Judge can field a good defense, chances are very high the Giants will be very good very soon. If not, then they will become a carbon copy of what the Cowboys have been over the last 13 seasons. I suppose that for Garrett haters, at least some Cowboys fans can cheer for the Giants to be mediocre. But how does that help the rest of us fans who want another Super Bowl trophy in Dallas?

P.S. I waited two weeks to post this, but the more I think about it, the more I don't like this decision. Jerry is just repeating the mistake he made with Garrett. That's my gut feel. I hope I'm wrong.

NFL games aren’t won with elite defense anymore. They are won by throwing the ball more efficiently than your opponent. Some good teams do this by having a great passing defense, some by having a great passing offense, and some by being good at both but all championship caliber teams at seasons end found some way to consistently be more efficient passing the ball than their opponents.

So I guess I don’t share your fears because your underlying premise is flawed.
 

Jumbo075

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NFL games aren’t won with elite defense anymore. They are won by throwing the ball more efficiently than your opponent. Some good teams do this by having a great passing defense, some by having a great passing offense, and some by being good at both but all championship caliber teams at seasons end found some way to consistently be more efficient passing the ball than their opponents.

So I guess I don’t share your fears because your underlying premise is flawed.

I'll be happy to be wrong.
 

Tabascocat

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Hopefully, his plan is to fine-tune the offense and help the defense take it to another level. The ST’s will benefit from better depth alone and a real coach there.

Big Mac doesn’t have to part the sea here, just instill a winning culture and some accountability. The most important thing is to fix the defense, Dallas won’t go anywhere next season if it is much the same.

#defense still wins championships
 

TWOK11

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I would genuinely have preferred Urban Meyer. He proved to be a championship coach at multiple stops. I just don't believe in McCarthy. He had both Favre and Rodgers, and made 1 SB in 13 seasons, and that season, he backed into the playoffs as the 6th seed, and got lucky.

My biggest objection to getting rid of Garrett is I just didn't believe Jerry was going to hire someone better. I don't think McCarthy is better than Garrett. Meyer is better. And at least his teams knew how to play defense.

I didn't like Lincoln Riley or Matt Rhule for the same reason - their teams in the Big 12 don't play defense. Guys, I'm just not seeing how McCarthy is an improvement. Yeah, he doesn't clap...but surely everyone realizes that is a petty reason to hate Garrett.

In the end, I was tired of Garrett in Dallas, too. But I think my concerns about Jerry doing the same ol' thing have proven to come true. Yes, McCarthy is the shiny new Christmas present, so some think that this year's beany baby is better than last year's Cabbage Patch Doll. I think both of them, Garrett and McCarthy, are a couple of Pet Rocks.

Honestly, Marvin Lewis would have been a better choice than McCarthy. At least Lewis knows defense. And I don't even like Marvin Lewis.

So many things wrong with this post I don’t know where to begin...

Urban Meyer has never coached defense a day in his life and his dominance in college was largely related to his elite recruiting abilities, a useless skill in the NFL.

Baylor had a very solid defense under Rhule

Riley has a poor statistical defense largely because of the style his offense plays (which results in a ton of possessions)

NONE of the above three have ever even been a coordinator at the NFL level much less a HC

Mike McCarthy’s GB squads had better average defensive numbers for his career than Lewis’ in Cincy in nearly every statistical category except yards per carry, a star that is completely useless in determining who wins games in the modern NFL.

If these are your fears, rest assured you can put them to rest because they only exist in your mind. Almost nothing you’ve posted is rooted in reality.
 

xwalker

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The biggest question for Cowboys fans is why Jerry insisted on hiring an offensive minded coach in Mike McCarthy for a team that already has the #1 offense in the NFL. It's like he just doesn't understand how important defense is. Is Mike Nolan the answer on defense? Really?

The Cowboys, under both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, fielded the #1 defense in the NFL. Both of them understand what it takes to build a championship team - excellent defense. I am not sanguine about the hire of Mike McCarthy. It is highly unlikely he will materially improve the team over the level of offensive performance that Garrett had in his tenure in Dallas.

Over the 13 years that Jason Garrett presided as either Offensive Coordinator and/or Head Coach in Dallas, the Cowboys' offense ranked 4th in total offensive production (367 ypg), and 6th in offensive points per game (24.3 ppg). Having a productive offense in both yards and scoring was not a problem for the Cowboys under Garrett. (Those who are counting on Garrett to fall on his face in New York are likely to be surprised and disappointed.)

The issue for Garrett as Head Coach is he could never consistently field a good defense. When push came to shove, and when nut-cutting time came in the playoffs, Dallas consistently fielded an impotent defense.

Mike McCarthy had the exact same problem in Green Bay. With the exception of the one year the Packers made it to the Super Bowl as the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs, and upset the Steelers, McCarthy fielded top offensive teams, but consistently poor defenses. Even with All-world Aaron Rodgers, the Packers haven't been able to get back to the big game in a decade.

So, I'm wondering if Mike McCarthy is Fool's Gold for Cowboys fans. How is he not EXACTLY what the Cowboys just got rid of?

As for Garrett, he will not be responsible for the defense for the Giants. If Joe Judge can field a good defense, chances are very high the Giants will be very good very soon. If not, then they will become a carbon copy of what the Cowboys have been over the last 13 seasons. I suppose that for Garrett haters, at least some Cowboys fans can cheer for the Giants to be mediocre. But how does that help the rest of us fans who want another Super Bowl trophy in Dallas?

P.S. I waited two weeks to post this, but the more I think about it, the more I don't like this decision. Jerry is just repeating the mistake he made with Garrett. That's my gut feel. I hope I'm wrong.

That is terrible logic.

You are basically saying that a team can only have a great defense if they have a Head Coach with a background as a D-Coordinator.

The Cowboys needed a change. None of the options for Head Coach were a slam dunk. Belichick was not available as far as I know.

McCarthy was not the GM in Green Bay.

How much talent was on those Green Bay defenses?

Looking back at the GB roster in some years I would say the Defensive coaches might have over-achieved...

Again, McCarthy was not the GM. He'll get more input in Dallas on personnel acquisition than he got in Green Bay.

McCarthy might not be an exciting hire, but he is a legit NFL Head Coach, not a project.

The Cowboys didn't need an new HC with many unknowns even if that coach "might" have a higher upside.

If McCarthy fails or if the D-Coordinator fails, they will get replaced. They won't be treated as if they are Jerry's stepson.
 

Verdict

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The biggest question for Cowboys fans is why Jerry insisted on hiring an offensive minded coach in Mike McCarthy for a team that already has the #1 offense in the NFL. It's like he just doesn't understand how important defense is. Is Mike Nolan the answer on defense? Really?

The Cowboys, under both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, fielded the #1 defense in the NFL. Both of them understand what it takes to build a championship team - excellent defense. I am not sanguine about the hire of Mike McCarthy. It is highly unlikely he will materially improve the team over the level of offensive performance that Garrett had in his tenure in Dallas.

Over the 13 years that Jason Garrett presided as either Offensive Coordinator and/or Head Coach in Dallas, the Cowboys' offense ranked 4th in total offensive production (367 ypg), and 6th in offensive points per game (24.3 ppg). Having a productive offense in both yards and scoring was not a problem for the Cowboys under Garrett. (Those who are counting on Garrett to fall on his face in New York are likely to be surprised and disappointed.)

The issue for Garrett as Head Coach is he could never consistently field a good defense. When push came to shove, and when nut-cutting time came in the playoffs, Dallas consistently fielded an impotent defense.

Mike McCarthy had the exact same problem in Green Bay. With the exception of the one year the Packers made it to the Super Bowl as the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs, and upset the Steelers, McCarthy fielded top offensive teams, but consistently poor defenses. Even with All-world Aaron Rodgers, the Packers haven't been able to get back to the big game in a decade.

So, I'm wondering if Mike McCarthy is Fool's Gold for Cowboys fans. How is he not EXACTLY what the Cowboys just got rid of?

As for Garrett, he will not be responsible for the defense for the Giants. If Joe Judge can field a good defense, chances are very high the Giants will be very good very soon. If not, then they will become a carbon copy of what the Cowboys have been over the last 13 seasons. I suppose that for Garrett haters, at least some Cowboys fans can cheer for the Giants to be mediocre. But how does that help the rest of us fans who want another Super Bowl trophy in Dallas?

P.S. I waited two weeks to post this, but the more I think about it, the more I don't like this decision. Jerry is just repeating the mistake he made with Garrett. That's my gut feel. I hope I'm wrong.

Get rid of Marinelli, Witten and Richard. He can sit around and smoke cigarettes for the rest of the year and hang out at the strip club on game days and the team will be better than it was last year.
 

Verdict

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I think that IF Witten doesn’t return it shows that McCarthy really has a substantial say in the roster. Otherwise Witten would be progress stopping again next year.
 

Number1

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as dumb as we often seem the FO is, this has probably been thought out for some times

MM may have been hired to implement a defense, and I think MM has know he has to deliver a defense in his next gig and went to school, wouldn't you?

Nolan is likely not an after thought - the biggest issue here is how fast can Nolan field a serious D, or rather how fast can MM?

but here's the rub, you still have this FO doing the talent accumulation, which could very well mean we're a few years from contention - even with great coaching

I'm not as big fan of Will as many, where's the depth anywhere on this D considering contracts ? ... none.

considering a system change how many of the 17 defensive FAs do you want back?
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/dallas-cowboys/
I'd be surprised if 6 of the are resigned

it's not like they didn't have this conversation with MM -putting a decent D on the field as challenging as the O, I'm sure they are putting a "process" in place to get it did
 

ksadler1

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The problem with your argument is that the Cowboys ranked 6th in the NFL in scoring this season at 27.1 ppg, in addition to 1st in yards per game. Offense wasn't the issue.

Another very misleading stat pumped up by a couple high scoring games. We had several low scoring games where we didn't score any TD's, the Patriots game and the Saints, just to name two...
 
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