Mike McCarthy made several questionable decisions in Thursday’s blowout loss to Washington, but the most noteworthy was his failed fake punt attempt early in the fourth quarter. While most felt it was a horrible call, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is standing by his head coach.
During his appearance on 105.3 The Fan on Friday, Jones said the fake punt with Dallas trailing 20-16 could have been “inspirational” had it worked. He agreed with McCarthy’s reasoning for calling the play, though he did note that it was “very impactful negatively.”
“Our coaches thought we were teetering,” Jones said, per USA Today’s Jori Epstein. “When you’re getting gashed vertically in the run … you need to do something more drastic.”
The Cowboys have had one of the worst defenses in the NFL this season, but they weren’t terrible for the first three quarters on Thursday. The failed fake punt gave Washington the ball deep in Dallas territory, and allowed the game to get out of hand. It’s hard to believe the Cowboys were only trailing by four points in the fourth quarter when you see they lost 41-16.
McCarthy was lambasted by at least one former NFL player-turned analyst, but it’s no surprise Jones is standing by him. McCarthy was the biggest coaching hire of the offseason, and the Jones family is not going to give up on him after one year.
