Will Mike McCarthy be fired if Cowboys lose to Giants on TNF?

Jerry Jones has only fired a coach in-season once, but could he do it again if the Dallas Cowboys lose to the Giants on Thursday Night Football?

Aug 24, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy calls a play in the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Heading into Week 4, the Dallas Cowboys are desperate to turn things around. They've fallen to 1-2 which is frustrating in its own right but even worse when you consider how they lost.

Dallas was dominated at the line of scrimmage at home in losses to the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens. In those two games, they surrendered 464 yards on the ground while rushing for just 119 on offense.

This horrid start has Mike Zimmer under the spotlight since his defense has come out flat and unprepared. As much attention as he's receiving, the heat is worse for head coach Mike McCarthy who entered the season without a contract beyond 2024.

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McCarthy, who has won 12 games in each of the past three seasons, has taken heat for his lack of success in the postseason. Dallas owner Jerry Jones believed the lack of job security might lead to a sense of urgency — and eventually, more success.

That hasn't been the case and it's now fair to ask what happens if the Cowboys lose on Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants.

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Will Jerry Jones fire Mike McCarthy if the Cowboys remain 'hot garbage'?

Sep 8, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy argues with line judge Julian Mapp (10) during the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Rex Ryan labeled the Cowboys' defense "hot garbage" ahead of their Week 2 contest with the Ravens and it's hard to argue against that assessment. There's a sense he's sour about not getting the defensive coordinator position but he's not wrong. This defense has been abysmal.

Dallas had high hopes that hiring Zimmer to replace Dan Quinn would bring them success, but instead, their defense is 28th in the league in yardage and 30th in points.

The offense, which is led by McCarthy, is better and is top 10 in yards and points.

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Having said that, they're 30th in rushing yardage. Much of that is due to the lack of talent but Jones, who serves as the general manager, says he likes the players he has. That means he's going to place the blame for their struggles on McCarthy.

But will he really fire him if they lose to the Giants and fall to 1-3? The short answer is — maybe.

Jones hasn't fired coaches during the season very often, only doing so once in 2010 when Wade Phillips started 1-7. Jason Garrett replaced him and went 5-3 before ultimately being hired for the position full-time.

Jul 30, 2024; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer during training camp at the River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California. / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

The good news for McCarthy is that Jones doesn't have a young prospect such as Garett waiting in the wings. The bad news is that he does have Mike Zimmer, who has eight years of experience as a head coach. He also spent 13 years in Dallas from 1994 through 2006 as an assistant coach.

Jones trusts Zimmer and if he feels the issue is McCarthy, then there's a chance he could get trigger-happy and send him packing after a third embarrassing effort in a row.

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