FRISCO – Yes, Michael Irvin is aware of what he terms the Mike McCarthy “Bandwagon.”
But no, “The Playmaker” is not “all-aboard.”
Over the weekend the Dallas Cowboys suffered a blowout loss to a Philadelphia Eagles team that was not at full strength. Philly didn’t have QB Jalen Hurts due to a concussion, just as the Cowboys didn’t have his counter in Dak Prescott due to his season-ending surgery.
Dallas was a 6.5-point underdog (which seems to little to us) … but got destroyed, 41-7. To some, the final score demonstrates a real – if immediate – difference between the two teams.
But to the Hall of Famer receiver Irvin, who remains deeply tied to owner Jerry Jones and his ‘Boys?
The issue is much, much larger than one blowout loss.
Irvin popped onto “The Herd” on FS1 in the aftermath and made it perfectly clear he believes the McCarthy Cowboys lack “discipline” – and for that reason, the lame-duck coach should not get a contract extension for 2025.
.@michaelirvin88 says it's time to move on from Mike McCarthy:
"This team needs more discipline." pic.twitter.com/vQaQpJB4X3
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 30, 2024
“Yes I would (replace McCarthy),” Irvin said. “Yes I would. It’s just time to go in a different direction. I hear about the late surge, ‘Let’s stay with Mike McCarthy,’ I’m not on that bandwagon. What I believe is, this team needs more discipline. I’m not saying Mike McCarthy’s not a good coach, X’s and O’s coach, but I think the team needs more discipline.”
McCarthy has build support for himself inside his locker room, with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons all pushing for him to be retained. The Jones family has said nice things about the coach while being non-committal about a decision that is due in a couple of weeks at the most.
That “late surge”? Some of that is manufactured, witness the phenomenon that now has a 61-year-old coach with a losing record who was on the “hot seat” a month ago now being characterized as a “hot candidate” about to be the target of a “bidding war.” (See below.)
Packers Super Bowl-winner McCarthy has been a general success here, with three consecutive 12-5 playoff seasons entering 2024. And the Joneses’ quiet “Blow It Up” plan for this year wasn’t his fault – except for the fact that it was triggered by last season’s playoff debacle against Green Bay.
But to Irvin, none of those positives are enough, and the bandwagon they are fueling, are enough.
