'Why Do You Love It?' Inside Cowboys Message From Coach Mike McCarthy

'Why Do You Love It?' Inside Dallas Cowboys Message From Coach Mike McCarthy Before Miami Dolphins Christmas Eve Showdown

"Why do you love it?''

Coach Mike McCarthy's pep-talk themes to his Dallas Cowboys are sometimes meant to capture a season-long mood ("Carpe Omnia'').

And they are sometimes meant to punctuate success (his chain-wearing postgame dancing.)

And they are sometimes meant to inspire deeply (his order in a team meeting to players to pull out their phones - counterintuitively - and to call or text a mentor or a loved one who helped them achieve success).

And they are sometimes meant for a laugh (his Gallagher-like game's-eve bit with a sledgehammer and a watermelon).

And this week, as McCarthy worked to pick up the pieces of the blowout at Buffalo and to get his 10-4 playoff-bound Cowboys back on track?

A simple meeting-room question (hat-tip Ian Rapoport): "Why do you love it?''

There are still critics of McCarthy - a stubborn lot they are - who don't fully understand exactly what it is he does as the head coach of "America's Team.'' They literally suggest "he doesn't know his own offense'' and that "he's not well-liked by the players'' and that "he's lazy.'' ... all absurd notions driven by ignorance or hate.

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Said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones: "He’s coached three playoff teams in a row. He’s done an outstanding job.”

Jones is on-record as suggesting that he will eventually provide McCarthy, who has one year left on his deal, a handsome contract extension. That notion comes with no guarantees; Jones once signed Jimmy Johnson to a handsome 10-year contract never in a skillion years suspecting that Jimmy would barely make it halfway through.

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But among the many things McCarthy does - and does right - is get a good team ready to play well. His Cowboys, headed for a third straight playoff appearance and sporting a 34-14 record in the last three years - are after their last 11 losses spread over three seasons 10-1 in the next outing.

McCarthy's Cowboys are underdogs today at Miami. The 10-4 Dolphins need and want to win just as Dallas does, and are similarly capable. We're about to see if McCarthy has just successfully pushed yet another button ...

"Why do you love it?''