Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy discusses Wild-Card loss, Dak Prescott, team moving forward
FRISCO – Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy addressed members of the media one day after it was announced he would return for a fifth season.
He said he had a productive conversation with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for over three hours, including discussing the "layers of disappointment," what went right and what went wrong.
#Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy at the podium.
— Jett Beachum (@JetthroTV) January 18, 2024
Says he and owner Jerry Jones had a 3+ hour meeting to talk about the season, the disappointing ending, and plan going forward @CBSNewsTexas pic.twitter.com/uzRgQTLEbe
The conversation also continued with Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, who he says he has "unbelievable belief" in.
"I will say I am very confident in the direction [the team is going] and I like where we are in terms of moving forward," McCarthy said. "I'm confident where we are."
McCarthy repeated how his biggest concern is his family.
"To say [losing is] not emotional...of course it is, that's being captain obvious," he said. "The family part of it is the only thing that concerns me. I have great confidence in who I am as a man and coach. The personal part is a challenge."
He also repeated how disappointed he was in the teams performance and ultimate loss in Sunday's game – the Cowboys lost in the Wild-Card Round to the No. 7 Green Bay Packers at home, 48-32.
"We have established a championship program. We know how to win...we have not crossed the threshold of winning playoff games." McCarthy said. "I know how to win."
Now Dallas is looking at 29 years since the franchise's last trip to the NFC championship game. It was the 1995 season when the Cowboys won their fifth Super Bowl title.
Dallas is the first No. 2 seed to lose to the last team in at No. 7 since the playoffs expanded to the 14-team format in 2020.
"We've got work to do," McCarthy said. "The job isn't finished yet.