Does Cowboys win over Washington save Mike McCarthy’s job?

The Dallas Cowboys knocked off the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Is that enough to keep Mike McCarthy around?

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

On Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys finally put an end to their five-game losing streak. Their 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders was as exciting as it was improbable. It also takes a little heat off Mike McCarthy, at least for now.

Throughout this frustrating campaign, the Cowboys head coach taken a lot of heat — and deservedly so. Even before losing Dak Prescott for the season, they underperformed and let too many opportunities slip through their fingers.

That wasn’t the case Sunday as they took advantage of everything they could. They finally won the turnover battle, had two kick returns for touchdowns, and saw Rico Dowdle rack up 86 yards on the ground.

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All of this proved that when they play balanced football, they can be a threat. It also proves that Jerry Jones remains the No. 1 issue holding this franchise back.

Jones created a circus this offseason when he waited as long as possible to extend Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. He made sure the big top wasn’t packed up after that by forcing Mike McCarthy to go into the season without an extension.

It’s no surprise that this led to a slow start from Prescott and Lamb. It also had McCarthy’s authority being questioned — which is never an ideal situation for any football team.

Dallas Cowboys / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

All that being said, McCarthy’s job status remains largely unchanged. Jones had his mind made up when he didn’t extend McCarthy. Nothing short of a deep playoff run would lead to a sixth season for the veteran head coach.

Defeating Washington doesn’t change that. At the most, it simply means Jones won’t be compelled to let him go before the season ends.

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