Mike McCarthy is not a happy camper.
In a Christmas Eve clash between two playoff teams, the Miami Dolphins edged the Dallas Cowboys 22—20 on a game-winning field goal by Miami kicker Jason Sanders as time expired.
It was a difficult final sequence for McCarthy's Cowboys. Dallas used their final timeout to stop the clock ahead of a Dolphins third-and-2 in the red zone with 1:42 seconds left. A stop there, and Miami would have still ultimately been able to kick a field goal, but would have also given the Cowboys an opportunity to answer back with a drive of their own.
Dallas did not get the stop—and McCarthy yelled in frustration. The Dolphins drained time off the clock until there were just three seconds left, called timeout, and trotted out Sanders for a chip shot.
When Sanders nailed the game-winning field goal, all the Cowboys coach could do was throw his hands in the air in disgust, a reaction that was caught by the Fox Sports cameras.
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 25, 2023
Not only did the Cowboys lose in the final seconds, but the defeat at the hands of the Dolphins was their second straight road loss—and fifth of the year.
Dallas is a sublime 7—0 at home and has looked like a legitimate Super Bowl contender at times this season. But their inability to win on the road is a glaring weakness for a team that will likely have to win a playoff game away from Dallas if they want to reach their ultimate goal this season.
No wonder McCarthy was so disgusted.
