the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 season has come to an end.
Dallas had the perfect scenario to advance to their first NFC Championship Game since 1995.
As the No.
2 seed, the Cowboys had two home games left in the playoffs and could advance to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1995 after winning 16 straight at home.
The star players lined up perfectly to form a strong team.
postseason run.
Unfortunately, their playoff rivals, the Green Bay Packers, had other plans for the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.
It was a disaster from the beginning.
Green Bay marched down the field like an HBCU band, took a 7-0 lead with relative ease on its first possession, and the floodgates opened.
With just under two minutes left in the first half, the Packers took a 27-0 lead on Darnell Savage’s 64-yard interception return.
It’s a fitting name to describe how the Packers handled the Cowboys in this matchup.
Green Bay ultimately won 48-32, although the score looked better than anyone saw it, in part due to an empty performance by the Cowboys.
The Packers’ point total was the most in Cowboys history in a playoff game.
This epic failure started with head coach Mike McCarthy.
Yes, he has won 12 games in three straight seasons, and that’s worthy of respect.
However, in the four playoff games played under his leadership, the Cowboys lost three of them.
Last season, the Cowboys were tied in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers and could have easily won if they had gotten something from Dak Prescott and the offense.
In the other two losses, the Cowboys looked woefully unprepared on both sides of the ball, which is inexcusable for a coach who accomplished what he accomplished.
Their only win was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who went 8-9 in 2022, but they were so much better than their opponents that the loss would have been unexpected
No one disputes that McCarthy can coach.
But at some point, especially with a roster as talented as the Cowboys, regular season success has to translate into postseason wins.
He’s the guy who drives the bus, and he almost always ends up crashing the bus into a brick wall during the most critical moments of playoff preparation.
He currently has one year left on his contract, and questions are swirling about his future with the Cowboys, which is understandable.
A collapse like this could never happen, and it would be completely understandable if the Cowboys decided to move forward.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn also needs to be considered.
Since joining in 2021, he has transformed the Cowboys’ defense.
They led the league in turnovers in back-to-back seasons (2021, 2022) and finished sixth this season with 26 turnovers.
That’s good, but he hasn’t shown the ability to adjust when the defense breaks down, especially in 2023.
The Cowboys’ losing record against the Arizona Cardinals, 49ers and Buffalo Bills proved that.
Additionally, his team allowed 169 rushing yards to the 49ers in their 2021 playoff loss, and Jordan Love and the Packers offense had a field day on Sunday, with Quinn having no answers at all.
Leave a Reply