It’s official: Mike McCarthy, the Dallas Cowboys head coach, is walking into a challenging situation amid heightened expectations, contractual strains, and team resource crisis.
Yet, impressively, McCarthy appears unperturbed. Despite Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones’ public call for him to do more with less.
Certainly, this isn’t McCarthy’s first rodeo. As a matter of fact, this marks his third time going into a season in the last stretch of his contract.
Earlier, he had experienced this as the offensive coordinator for the Saints and the head coach of the Packers.
These past instances have perhaps toughened McCarthy to face the music head-on at the Cowboys.
Interestingly, McCarthy doesn’t feel cornered. Instead, he sees himself in a ‘great spot’ and is prepared to wager on his abilities.
“Don’t feel bad for me,’’ McCarthy said, via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. “I’m in a great spot.”
This comes particularly amidst allegations suggesting that Cowboys’ performance isn’t as impressive as their wild-card playoff loss to the Packers.
These portrayals seem to add another layer of adversity to McCarthy’s already challenging situation.
Despite his contract status, McCarthy agrees that a coach’s role is to face and adapt to yearly challenges.
“I don’t see it as more pressure,’’ McCarthy said. “I think it’s just the reality of our industry. That’s what it is. Those are business decisions and those are really personal, frankly, because we are subcontractors when it comes to the financial component of it.
Mike McCarthy insists he isn’t feeling pressure to do more with less. https://t.co/dqvl25Shub
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“You can’t lose sight of the big picture. Make no bones about it. I am extremely blessed to be here. I’m very much engaged where my feet are and the opportunities I’ve had personally. I’m very blessed. I never lose sight of that.’’
So, what lies ahead for McCarthy, who is currently 43-28 in four seasons, post-season included, and has made three trips to the playoffs?
While the favorite prediction suggests that McCarthy might need to surpass the wild-card round this season to gain an extension, some even hint at the implicit obligation to secure the elusive NFC Championship Game spot for the Cowboys.