So you think McCarthy should have been fired and that they kept Nolan?
I'm saying that the 2020 season was a worthless season when it came to an honest evaluation on just about every level.
You have a new HC with a new DC. This DC is installing a more complex style defense.
It is impossible to install such a defense without minicamps, training camps, and preseason games.
Yes, perhaps Nolan could have adjusted to a simpler defense. However, that would have been a season lost as far as the player's ability to gain experience in his system.
Then you have to add in a severe injury trend, not only on defense, certainly the efficiency of an offense is a negative/positive effect on the defense in terms if time of possession, game situations, etc.
The free agent veterans brought in did nothing, in fact, their lack if buy-in was a distraction to the point where many were cut or traded before the end of the season. I don't know if this was a character issue as much as it was a lack of team chemistry. As I said before, training camp is when players bond together through a common challenge, competition, and proximity to form a real team. These players were almost strangers to each other when the season began. That effected team cohesion, personal accountability, and individual commitment to the team.
This is why I believe that everyone should get a pass for 2020. Realistically, the Cowboys never had a chance.
Still, I understand the need to fire Nolan. Most fans see the surface only. Someone had to take the sword, Nolan was a very convenient scapegoat. The Cowboys had a poor season and the defense had a historically terrible season, even though they were improving towards the end.