Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his contract and could be on the hot seat. It’s fair to wonder if the pressure is affecting his decision-making.
On a 4th-and-2 at Dallas’ 38-yard line with the Falcons leading 14-10 early in the third quarter, Cowboys punter Bryan Anger threw a pass that Falcons rookie cornerback Natrone Brooks nearly intercepted.
On the following drive, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw an 11-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III.
The fake punt was poorly executed, but the play call seemed head-scratching. The Cowboys were deep in their territory, giving the Falcons an easy scoring opportunity.
Perhaps McCarthy doesn’t trust his defense. Dallas allowed the NFL’s second-most points through the season’s first eight weeks (28.3).
Meanwhile, Cousins ranks fifth in the league in passing yards (2,106) and is tied for sixth in passing TDs (14) through his first eight starts.
Regardless, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones probably didn’t love the play call.
During a recent appearance on KRLD-FM in Dallas, Jones seemed to rip McCarthy when he said the Cowboys are “designing bad plays.” Don’t be surprised if he gives the coach a hard time about the failed fake punt behind closed doors.
