Mike McCarthy Defends Cowboys’ Costly QB Draw In Playoff Loss
This take is definitely up for debate
Mike McCarthy doesn’t regret what proved to be the Cowboys’ final play call of the 2021 season.
Dallas was holding onto its playoff life by a thread when it stood on San Francisco’s 40-yard line with 13 seconds left in Sunday’s game. Trailing the 49ers by six points with no timeouts in their pocket, the Cowboys elected to run a quarterback draw. Dak Prescott rushed his offense to the perceived line of scrimmage after running for about 16 yards, but too much damage had been done. There wasn’t enough time for the referee to spot the football and the Cowboys’ season was over.
Despite the situation, McCarthy had no issues with the highly risky call from offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
“Do you want to be running a Hail Mary play from the 50-yard line or do you want to run five verticals form the 25-yard line?” McCarthy told reporters after the game, per ESPN. “So, that’s the decision, it’s the right decision.”
McCarthy is correct in saying Dallas needed to improve its field position in order to increase the likelihood of a game-winning touchdown pass. But that could have been achieved by running an out route toward the sideline or Prescott going down earlier to preserve a few seconds. The play call wasn’t great and the execution was even worse.
It was rather fitting that in a game littered with self-inflicted wounds, the Cowboys sealed their fate via friendly fire. Sloppy football and lack of discipline fall on the head coach, so it’s fair to wonder whether McCarthy will be back for a third season in Dallas.
