The Dallas Cowboys’ 16-game home win streak ended with a devastating 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium on Sunday. While several Cowboys can (and should) be blamed for the embarrassing defeat, a good chunk of fingers are being pointed toward head coach Mike McCarthy.
After all, the 2024 season is a crucial year for the team and head coach. The Cowboys are desperately trying to win their first Super Bowl in nearly 30 years while McCarthy is in the final year of his five-year contract and must do whatever he can to secure an extension.
However, based on Sunday’s loss, McCarthy’s outlook in Dallas is far from promising. Failing to turn the ship around could cost him his job before the season is even over.
With that in mind, here are three potential McCarthy candidates that the Cowboys must consider following Week 2.
1. Bill Belichick
If the Cowboys want McCarthy’s potential replacement to lead them to a Super Bowl, look no further than one of the best coaches to ever do it.
Anyone familiar with the NFL knows just how good Belichick is. The 72-year-old head coach ranks third in league history with 302 regular-season wins in 467 games (64.7%). He also owns a mind-blowing 31-13 (70.5%) postseason record, which includes the six Super Bowl titles he won with the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2018.
There’s also some legitimate merit to Belichick potentially heading to Dallas. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed in January that the former Patriots HC is a “friend” and that he has “no doubt” that the duo could work well together, per ESPN.
Belichick and the Cowboys seem like a match made in heaven, especially if the latter wants to end their playoff futility. Belichick joining the franchise might hinge on Jones giving up some of his general manager duties given the former’s hands-on style, however, that’s a sacrifice worth making if it means returning the Lombardi Trophy to America’s Team.
2. Ben Johnson
If the Cowboys want to go with a younger coaching option that can grow with the team, Ben Johnson would be another solid pick. The 38-year-old has often been seen as someone who deserves a head coaching job after the tremendous work he’s done with the Detroit Lions since 2019.
After spending time in lesser coaching roles, Johnson was named the Lions’ offensive coordinator ahead of the 2022 NFL season. Since then, Detroit has been a top-five offensive team in back-to-back seasons, playing a massive role in the success that the franchise has seen during that stretch.
Even though Jones isn’t always a big fan of outsiders, it’s hard not to get excited about what Johnson could do in Dallas. He’s created magic with the likes of Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jahmyr Gibbs, so it’s exciting to imagine what he could do with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and the remainder of the offense.
Signing Johnson would also show Cowboys fans that the franchise is ready to move into a new era. After dealing with Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy for the last 15 seasons, it’s time for Dallas to inject some new blood into the coaching room — especially as head coaches around the NFL continue to get younger each year.
3. Steve Spagnuolo
Another potential head coach candidate who oozes potential is Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The 64-year-old defensive guru has played a massive role in the Chiefs’ success since 2019, which includes a trio of Super Bowl victories.,
After the defense crumbled against the Saints, it’s clear that the Cowboys could use someone like Spagnuolo. Since taking over as the DC in Kansas City five years ago, here’s a look at where the team’s defense ranked in terms of points against per game:
- 2023: 2nd
- 2022: 16th
- 2021: 8th
- 2020: 11th
- 2019: 7th
Outside of the 2022 season, Spagnuolo’s defenses are often among the league’s best. It’d be interesting to see what he could do with a group of young defenders like Micah Parsons, Da’Ron Bland, and DeMarvion Overshown.
If the Cowboys do roll the dice on Spagnuolo, hopefully, his time in Kansas City turned him into a better coach. The Whitinsville, MA native went 10-38 as the then-St. Louis Rams head coach from 2009 to 2011 before finishing the 2017 season with a 1-3 record as the New York Giants’ interim bench boss.
Nevertheless, with a ton of championship experience on his side, Spagnuolo could be the answer to the Cowboys’ worsening Super Bowl drought.
