Less than a week after several Cowboys players anonymously called out their coaching staff for being “unprepared” and not “good at their jobs,” first-year head coach Mike McCarthy received some words of encouragement from Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones.
“I know we’ve got the right head guy for the job, and it’s a work in progress… These things just take time,” Jones said. “I know our fans are frustrated. We certainly understand the criticism that’s come our way. But we’ve got to go to work… It’s the first year with this group. You know Jerry and I are big believers in sticking with the staff.
“We’ve just got to give them their opportunity to work with these guys and continue to implement what they’re trying to get accomplished.”
Jones said he expects the team to “evolve” over time, though it will be difficult with Dallas down to its third-string quarterback, seventh-round pick Ben DiNucci, after Andy Dalton was concussed following a helmet-to-helmet collision during Sunday’s 25-3 loss to Washington. Franchise quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending right ankle fracture earlier this month in a win over the Giants.
Tension between McCarthy and his players grew after Sunday’s game when the first-year head coach called out his team for not retaliating against Washington linebacker Jon Bostic, whose dirty hit knocked Dalton out of the game.
Cowboys players initially took shots at their coaching staff following their 38-10 loss to the Cardinals in Week 6, telling an NFL reporter that the coaches “don’t teach” and “don’t have any sense of adjusting on the fly.”
In response to the anonymous critics, several members of the Dallas organization came to the coaching staff’s defense, including veteran linebacker Jaylon Smith. But the show of unity didn’t help the Cowboys, who dropped to 2-5 on the season.