NEW DELHI: The Dallas Cowboys suffered a heartbreaking 48-32 home wild-card defeat to the Green Bay Packers, leaving owner Jerry Jones clearly disturbed and unwilling to discuss the futures of head coach Mike McCarthy, quarterback Dak Prescott, or any other component of the organization.
Jones, with an ashen face, emphasized his surprise, calling it one of the most shocking moments in his entire athletic career.
The Cowboys, despite boasting three consecutive 12-win seasons and playoff appearances in four years under McCarthy, have now gone 29 years without a trip to the NFC championship game since their Super Bowl triumph in the 1995 season.
The Cowboys, who clinched the NFC East title in a late-season surge, had the opportunity to host a divisional game for the first time in 27 years. However, their dreams were shattered by the Packers’ dominant performance.
Questions now loom over McCarthy and Prescott, both entering the final years of their contracts. McCarthy, hired for his postseason success with the Packers, has faced disappointment in two of his three playoff seasons with the Cowboys, losing the opening round at home twice.
Prescott, despite leading the NFL with 36 touchdown passes during the regular season, acknowledged the speculation surrounding McCarthy’s future and recognized the business aspect of the game. Both McCarthy and Prescott emphasized their disappointment, with Prescott expressing that the team’s success is attributed to their coach.
This marks the second time in McCarthy’s tenure with the Cowboys that they have lost their playoff opener at home, and it follows a pattern of early postseason exits. The team’s inability to advance to a conference title game despite three consecutive 12-win seasons raises questions about the future direction of the franchise.
The loss against the Packers is particularly significant as Dallas became the first No. 2 seed to lose to the last-seeded team since the playoff format expanded in 2020. Jones, who was initially scheduled to discuss the game and prepare for the coming week with McCarthy, now faces uncertainties about the coaching staff’s future.
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