Dallas Coach Mike McCarthy Reveals 'What's Holding the Cowboys Back' in 'Bumpy Roller-Coaster Ride' Season

Dallas Coach Mike McCarthy Reveals 'What's Holding the Cowboys Back' in 'Bumpy Roller-Coaster Ride' Season

The Dallas Cowboys managed to right some of the wrongs of last week with a stirring 20-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

While the win was just what Dallas needed to get back on track as it enters the bye, it was again a disjointed game that was marred by costly penalties ... 11 of them, to be exact.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy will take the win that moves his team to 4-2 on the year but stated that the emotional ups and downs accompanying his team through the first six weeks resemble a carnival ride.

“It’s a win, a good road win,” McCarthy said. “We’re 4-2, we’re at the bye, it’s been a roller-coaster ride as far as how we’ve performed, in our productivity in six weeks. We get a chance to reset, reboot, hopefully we come out of the game relatively healthy and get back at it for the [Los Angeles] Rams.”

The Cowboys came into Monday night's game knowing what a win would do for their mentality and also what the effects of a loss could have.

After several costly penalties against the San Francisco 49ers in crucial moments, Dallas knew that the same mistakes couldn't be repeated against the Chargers. But they were.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has described his team's first six weeks as a roller-coaster / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys had 11 penalties for 85 yards as the ugly wart of McCarthy's team was again seen, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

Several pre-snap penalties either put the Cowboys' offense behind the chains or gave the Chargers better down and distance on their drives.

Luckily, the Cowboys, led by Dak Prescott, managed to overcome them all. He would complete 21 of 30 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown while also rushing seven times for 40 yards and a touchdown.

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But while the win was good for McCarthy, the penalties will keep him up at night through the bye week.

“Continuity and consistency is at the forefront of everything we’ve been focused on,” McCarthy said. “Not to be negative nelly after a win, but the pre-snap penalties, it’s a reoccurring issue on the road. The four road games, they’ve all been a problem. So we have to get better there. Have to resolve that because that’s holding us back.”

Self-inflicted wounds have been a common theme for Dallas under McCarthy, and while it looked like things had gotten better to start the season, the last two weeks show there's plenty of work to be done.

But now, as the Cowboys enter the bye, they can be semi-content with their work at SoFi Stadium as the desired result was achieved despite their shortcomings.

"It was a bumpy game out there,'' McCarthy said. "A lot of resetting your jaw and just keep fighting."

This "roller-coaster with bumps'' has had several ups and downs already, and we imagine that there will be plenty more before this ride is finished. You better hang on, though, because it won't be for the faint-hearted.