The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0suffered an embarrassing loss at home on Sunday, October 13, when the\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0plowed them over,\u00a047-9. During the season, there\u2019s been buzz about whether it\u2019s the final season for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, and after that 38-point loss to Detroit, it could be even more possible. McCarthy\u2019s\u00a0contract\u00a0is uncertain, so the Cowboys front office could decide to go with a different leader and not re-sign the coach.<\/p>\n
Former\u00a0New England Patriots\u00a0coach Bill Belichick is a perennial favorite in Cowboys coach chatter, but there are other candidates that are also getting mentioned as possible McCarthy replacements.<\/p>\n
As Jerry Jones sat celebrating his 82nd birthday by watching his Cowboys get trampled over by the Lions, Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could very well have caught his eye.<\/p>\n
In an October 17 feature for Sport DFW, NFL analyst and expert Sayre Bedinger names Johnson as the No. 1 pick to step in for McCarthy.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the way the Detroit Lions have been playing the last handful of years offensively, I would expect Ben Johnson to be one of the most highly coveted and sought-after head coach candidates until he finally accepts a job,\u201d Bedinger stated. \u201cAnd after turning down jobs the last couple of years, waiting for the perfect opportunity, you can\u2019t help but think the Cowboys would be exactly the type of job he\u2019d be waiting for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bedinger adds that Johnson has turned Detroit\u2019s offense into a \u201cjuggernaut.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey distribute the ball as well as any team in the league and there are few defenses in the NFL that seem to be able to keep up with it,\u201d Bedinger stated.<\/p>\n
John Buhler from FanSided also\u00a0named Johnson\u00a0as a possible McCarthy replacement.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt blew my mind that Ben Johnson returned to the Detroit Lions for another season to remain their offensive coordinator,\u201d\u00a0he wrote\u00a0in the September 23 piece.<\/p>\n
Buhler added, \u201cWhat I like about Johnson is his ability to put his players in positions to make plays. He also coaches up the talent general manager Brad Holmes provides to him and the rest of the Lions coaching staff. In theory, Johnson would fit in quite nicely in the Cowboys building, as he would lean on Stephen Jones and Will McClay in the front office and would not challenge Jerry Jones all that much either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maitland Rutledge of The Laundry Hat also\u00a0names Johnson\u00a0as a McCarthy replacement option.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Johnson were to come to the Cowboys, the offensive woes might disappear as fast as they appeared this season,\u201d\u00a0Rutledge said\u00a0in an October 14 feature. \u201cGive him\u00a0(Dak) Prescott,\u00a0CeeDee Lamb and a new full-time starter at running back and Dallas could run up points like a cash register.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aside from Johnson, Bedinger likes\u00a0Houston Texans\u00a0offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the work we\u2019ve seen Bobby Slowik and the Houston Texans do the last couple of seasons, it\u2019s not going to be a surprise when he\u2019s getting interviewed in the 2025 offseason by just about every team with a head coach opening,\u201d\u00a0Slowik wrote.<\/p>\n
Looking outside the NFL, Rutledge points to USC head coach Lincoln Riley as an option.<\/p>\n
\u201cHiring a college coach for his first pro job is risky, but Riley is champing at the bit to get a shot in the NFL,\u201d\u00a0Rutledge stated. \u201cHe grew up in Lubbock and attended Texas Tech so it would be an ideal team to get started with.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0suffered an embarrassing loss at home on Sunday, October 13, when the\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0plowed them over,\u00a047-9. During the season, there\u2019s been buzz about whether it\u2019s the final… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":14310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n