Dak Prescott Injury: Mike McCarthy Firing by Cowboys More Likely?

The loss of the star quarterback and a depleted offensive personnel will cool the otherwise hot seat for the Cowboys head coach.

FRISCO - The surgery on Dak Prescott's thumb/hand could be a fatal injury to the Dallas Cowboys.

But for coach Mike McCarthy's job security, it could be just what the doctor ordered.

Even though owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday during his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan that Prescott wouldn't be placed on injured reserve - giving the quarterback a chance to play sooner than expected - the Cowboys' chances of repeating as NFC East champions are on crutches while their coach's limbo has been temporarily propped up.

Prescott's timetable, originally thought to be 6-8 weeks, is now more like 3-4 games. Maybe.

Said Jones, “Dak has a real chance to be back out there throwing the ball pretty quick. We feel better about it than we did Sunday night.”

Until Prescott returns, however, the temperature on McCarthy's hot seat is seemingly cooled.

The Cowboys picked up Sunday night where they left off last season. With a 19-3 home loss in which they were besieged by double-digit penalties and an inept offense. In their last two games at AT&T Stadium - including last January's playoff loss to the 49ers - McCarthy's team has produced 24 penalties and only 20 points.

But with Prescott's prolonged absence - even if only four games - McCarthy isn't solely at fault for Dallas' impending demise. The injury to his star quarterback that can no longer pass serves as a, well, hall pass.

With Cooper Rush filling in for Prescott for the next month, the Cowboys face the Bengals, Giants, Commanders and Rams. Considering their performance in the opener, going 2-2 in that stretch seems ambitious.

McCarthy and his backers can point not only to the star quarterback's departure, but an overall deterioration of offensive personnel. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night, the Cowboys managed only a field goal, didn't score on their last 10 possessions and earned almost as many yellow flags (10) as first downs (12). A year ago in the opener against the Bucs in Tampa, Prescott passed for 403 yards and the Cowboys scored 29 points in a last-second loss to the defending Super Bowl champs that breathed optimism into the remainder of the season.

The offense Sunday night was clearly different from 2021.

Gone from that unit: Receivers Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson, offensive linemen Tyron Smith, La'el Collins and Connor Williams, and tight end Blake Jarwin. Dallas attempted to mitigate Cooper's departure by signing James Washington and drafting Jalen Tolbert, but the veteran is out with a foot injury and the rookie third-round pick isn't good enough to be in uniform for the opener.

(For what it's worth, Williams was the highest-graded center in the NFL in Week 1 by Pro Football Focus.)

The Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith to eventually replace Tyron Smith, but that process was accelerated with the eight-time Pro Bowl tackle suffered a hamstring injury. When veteran Connor McGovern left last Sunday's game with an ankle injury on the first series, Dallas was saddled with a left tackle and a left guard (Matt Farniok) with zero NFL experience.

The result? Tampa Bay Pro Bowl pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett twice beat Tyler Smith late in the game, resulting in pressure in Prescott's face. On two throws, the quarterback's hand hit Barrett's arm with his throwing motion after releasing the ball, resulting in a fractured thumb.

Without Prescott and with significantly depleted offensive talent, McCarthy can't be blamed for the Cowboys' slow start. Not yet, anyway.

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