While Jerry Jones takes his sweet time to make a head coaching decision that should have been crystal clear – one way or the other – as long ago as seven weeks, Dallas Cowboys fans are engaging in all sorts of debates involving Mike McCarthy.
And now the iconic Jimmy Johnson wants a piece of the action.
While some NFL teams have fired their head coach (Jacksonville Jaguars) and others have retained their head coach (New York Giants), the Cowboys are willing to be stuck in “exclusive negotiating window” limbo.
During this lull, fans seem generally ready for a change and willing to let McCarthy leave to another team such as the Chicago Bears.
Or maybe to his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers?
There is an overwhelming consensus, however, that needs to be heard and addressed: Cowboys fans would love to have Mike Tomlin over Mike McCarthy. The question is, “Why?”
Mike. Drop.
Because if you take away his menacing scowl, fire-and-brimstone press conferences and macho Alpha aura, Tomlin is much closer to McCarthy than you think. Yet here we are, with McCarthy twisting in the wind and Tomlin being hailed for leading another Pittsburgh Steelers team to another non-losing season.
But how about a culture flip?
Cowboys Coaches
By Tony Fisher
Johnson, Jerry’s Super Bowl-winning coach from the 1990s, popped on Fox Sports on Sunday to propose a swap:
Mike T to Dallas. Mike M to Pittsburgh.
It’s so wild and crazy … it might just work!
“I’ll just be clear … I’m a winner,” McCarthy said after the Cowboys’ season-ending loss at AT&T Stadium last Sunday. “I know how to win. I’ve won a championship. And that’s who I am.”
Is one better than the other? Let’s hide the names and simply compare anonymous resumes:
Coach A: 18 seasons … .630 winning percentage … 8-11 playoffs … 1 Super Bowl … 0 losing seasons.
Coach B: 18 seasons … .610 winning percentage … 11-11 playoffs … 1 Super Bowl … 3 losing seasons … 1 Coach of the Year.
One is slightly better in the regular season and has never finished under .500. One is slightly better in the playoffs and is more individually decorated.
Who ya got?
Coach A is Tomlin. Coach B is McCarthy. They’re either both candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, or they’re both not.
Let’s be honest, McCarthy’s Cowboys were blown out in a Wild Card loss last season. But in their last five playoff games, Tomlin’s Steelers have been pounded.
Can Tomlin fix the culture in Dallas?
Could native Pittsburgher fix the Steelers offense?
No less an authority than Jimmy Johnson apparently thinks so.
