ARLINGTON, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys are winless at home in 2024, and have dropped the last five games following a 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans. As frustrations continue to mount, Mike McCarthy believes that his team deserves the chance to end up on the other side.
"We got to win. We deserve to win. We deserve the opportunity to win," McCarthy said. "And that's why I'm putting the best people out there, and right now they're young… but we need to do whatever the hell we need to do to win."
McCarthy's hand was forced to play some of his younger guys because of a multitude of injuries suffered both before and during the game, and that all ultimately played a part in the outcome, especially down the stretch when both Tyler Smith and Zack Martin left the game in the fourth quarter with ankle injuries. And while the losses are piling this season, McCarthy views this time as value for his players that still need to gain experience.
"There is good coming out of this," McCarthy said. "You don't see it because we're not winning games, but there's young men that are getting an opportunity to do more and I do believe it'll pay forward. It needs to hurry the hell up, because we need it in six days."
In this upcoming short week, the Cowboys once again have plenty to work on. Their run game only generated 64 yards on 18 carries, with Rico Dowdle being held to 10 carries for 28 yards. McCarthy said that the run game was a primary focus going into the matchup, but the Cowboys "just really couldn't get it going, frankly."
That forced Cooper Rush to throw the ball 55 times, where he completed 32 of his passes for 354 yards, one touchdown and one interception. One of those incompletions came on fourth and two from the Houston eight-yard line, when Rush overthrew Jonathan Mingo and turned the ball over in downs instead of coming away with at least three points on the drive.
"We needed seven there…" McCarthy said of the decision. "That's a go for it situation and I felt good about that call."
Earlier in the game, Dallas once again tried a fake punt and were unable to move the chains, even despite Juanyeh Thomas coming down with Bryan Anger's pass. That was a decision that McCarthy wishes he had back.
"They won a chess match, it was a poor call by us." McCarthy said of the fake punt.
It wasn't the only decision McCarthy wishes he had back, as he felt he should've allowed Trey Lance to come into the game and get some snaps later on.
"I think the one thing I should've did at the end and didn't do was but Trey in there," McCarthy said. "Could've gotten him a series, that's one thing I would second guess myself on."
With a lot to consider and fix, including more presnap penalties and the second straight week of an offensive lineman failing to fall on a fumble and take lost yardage, the Cowboys now face a short turnaround before heading to Washington on Sunday to play the Commanders.
