Dak Prescott’s injury could save, or derail, Mike McCarthy’s time with Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott is a now officially an injury-prone quarterback, and Mike McCarthy’s status as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys remains as “safe” as it was before his QB suffered his latest injury.
Since McCarthy was hired by the Cowboys:
- Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 of the 2020 season that ended his year. He missed the final 11 games of that season.
- Prescott had two surgeries to repair the injury.
- Prescott missed nearly all of 2021 training camp, as the team held him out for precautionary reasons because of a strained right shoulder.
- Prescott strained a calf muscle in Week 6 of the 2021 season, and missed the Cowboys’ game two weeks later in Minnesota.
- Earlier this year, not long after the team was knocked out of the ‘21 playoffs, Dak had surgery on his left shoulder that McCarthy said was “not a concern.”
- Now Dak has a broken something or other above his thumb in his throwing hand, needs surgery, and will be out the next “several weeks.”
According to vocabulary.com, several means, “Of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many.”
In this case, go with “several” meaning six to eight weeks.
You got all of this?
Since the start of the 2020 season, Dak will miss at least one start every year, and will soon have his fourth surgery in that span.
That’s a concern. That’s a trend. These are facts.
Normally, the extended absence of a starting quarterback can save a head coaches’ job.
Normally.
In his third season as the head coach of the Cowboys, McCarthy likely is safe. His job status will now depend on how hard the team plays for him, and if it can be competitive without their starting quarterback.
McCarthy had a special view of a Cowboys head coach who lost his starting quarterback during the season and was fired anyways.
In 2010, the Cowboys were 1-4 under head coach Wade Phillips when starting quarterback Tony Romo suffered a season-ending broken clavicle in a loss against the New York Giants.
The team put in veteran backup Jon Kitna.
On Nov. 7, 2010, the 1-6 Cowboys played McCarthy’s Packers in Green Bay on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. The Cowboys lost 45-7.
As badly as he didn’t want to do it, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones fired Wade the next day and replaced him with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
The injury to Romo could not save Wade because the team quit on a head coach they liked, but did not respect.
Jerry saw it, he knew it, and he made the decision. It’s the only time he fired a coach during the season.
That situation is an aberration; normally, when the quality starting quarterback goes out for an extended period, it dramatically affects the way the entire team, and coaching staff, is evaluated.
“I think anybody realizes the value when you have a quarterback like Dak, and then going into games not having him, there is no question you got as major of an adjustment as you can have,” Jerry Jones said on Sunday evening after the game outside of the Cowboys locker room.
“To not have him, to not have your starting left tackle (Tyron Smith). Those are the kinds of things that add up on you, so we’re going to have to make up for it. But boy that’s the game that we play, and have become accustomed to that, and it’s a long way to January.”
Losing a starting quarterback is a valid excuse when your team loses.
The Cowboys now go back to backup quarterback Cooper Rush, who is not nearly as good as Jon Kitna was when he was the No. 2 behind Romo.
Rush is 1-0 in his career as a starter, having defeated the Vikings last season on the road. That Cowboys team was much better than this current Cowboys team.
They’re starting left tackle is out, their second-best wide receiver isn’t back from an injury, and they’re starting left guard left Sunday night’s game in a protective boot.
There is a decent chance this Cowboys team could play hard for McCarthy, and the results will still be awful.
Since he took over as the Cowboys head coach, McCarthy is 13-9, including the playoffs, with Dak as his starting quarterback.
Without Dak, McCarthy is 5-7.
For the second time since McCarthy came to town, his starting quarterback will be out for a long time.
That changes expectations, and evaluations, of everyone with the team.
The absence will either secure McCarthy another year, but if the team plays poorly enough can be used as a reason for the owner to move on.
This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
