Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy almost was responsible for the biggest piece of the blame pie at Jerry World.
Because while McCarthy’s Cowboys ultimately pulled out a 20-19 victory over the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night, a few head-scratching coaching decisions nearly led to the team’s third straight loss. Though it might not attract as much attention given the way the Week 17 contest concluded.
No decision was more egregious than McCarthy’s play-call and Dak Prescott’s deep throw on second-and-14 from the Detroit 33-yard line with 1:55 remaining. It allowed the Lions to save a timeout and ultimately helped the visitors stage a comeback attempt.
“Well, I think that the thing there is, we’re trying to put it away,” McCarthy told reporters, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “I mean obviously you call plays you feel good about but first down was a struggle for us all day. I can’t tell you how many second and longs we had and the penalty on first down, I’ve got to see it.
“I’m trying to still get in striking distance on third down so that was the thought.”
On the play, Prescott threw a deep pass intended for Brandin Cooks, but the veteran receiver was not on the same page as the quarterback. It sailed some 10 yards out of bounds and stopped the clock with 1:49 remaining — again, allowing the Lions to hold onto their final timeout.
Prescott shouldered the blame for his decision.
“That’s on me, honestly,” Prescott told reporters, per Archer. “Other options right there. … That wasn’t the smartest or best play by me and obviously, the defense helped me out.”
But McCarthy shouldn’t be absolved.
Detroit was able to use that third timeout to stop the clock the next play. The Cowboys ultimately settled for a field goal to make it a 7-point game with 1:45 left. The Lions then covered 75 yards in nine plays — largely due to the prevent defenses the Cowboys were playing in a seven-point game — before Detroit opted for a game-winning two-point attempt.
While that second-down decision was the most blasphemy, it was not alone. McCarthy couldn’t help but repeatedly run the ball on first down despite the Cowboys’ lack of success on the ground. Dallas averaged less than three yards per carry in the contest, but ran the ball on nine of their 13 first-down plays in the second half. As McCarthy himself noted, it routinely set Dallas up behind the sticks.
Fortunately for McCarthy and the Cowboys, Dallas still pulled out a win. The Lions tried a two-point attempt, which likely would have won them the game, but were penalized for a controversial illegal touching penalty. It was one of at least two controversial calls in crunch time.
If it played out differently for the Lions, there’s no doubt the discourse regarding McCarthy would be different, too.
