Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is far from a situational or schematic mastermind, and that became painfully evident again on Sunday.
McCarthy has a knack for putting his team in tough spots with questionable decisions in high-stakes moments, and it happened yet again in Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
With 11:26 remaining in the second quarter, Dallas faced a fourth-and-1 at Atlanta’s 44-yard line. Fans across Cowboys Nation heard Adam Amin and Greg Olsen announce that McCarthy was going for it on fourth down.
This should have struck fear into every Cowboys fan’s heart—and for good reason. The play call was a jet sweep to receiver CeeDee Lamb, which Atlanta linebacker Kaden Elliss promptly shut down for a three-yard loss.
Because, of course, when you need just one yard, a play where the ballcarrier has to cross the formation—and any defender can shoot the gap—is ideal. Pure genius.
One might argue that the Cowboys had no business trying to run in this situation, given the state of their ground game, especially with Ezekiel Elliott absent due to disciplinary reasons. But the offensive line wasn’t up to the task, either.
All McCarthy could do afterward was vent his frustration on the tablet.
