Per Bleacher Report:
Coming off back-to-back playoff losses defined by some baffling coaching decisions, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is under as much pressure as anyone going into this postseason.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, there's a belief around the NFL that McCarthy's future will be tied to how the Cowboys' final game goes.
"If the Cowboys play well in the postseason," Schefter wrote, "McCarthy would have an excellent chance to keep his job. But if they struggle and end the season with an embarrassing loss, as has happened in each of the past two years, then some say that change could come to Dallas."
If the Cowboys have another ugly loss in the playoffs, it won't be a surprise if Jerry Jones decides to move on from McCarthy.
The last two seasons have ended in rough fashion for the Cowboys. They lost in the 2021 NFC Wild Card Game to the San Francisco 49ers when time ran out after Dak Prescott scrambled for 17 yards.
In a rematch with the 49ers in last year's NFC Divisional Round, McCarthy's final play call with Ezekiel Elliott snapping the ball as the only offensive lineman was roundly mocked.
There were reasons beyond McCarthy that the Cowboys lost both games. Prescott struggled in the playoff loss last year, throwing two interceptions that led to six points for the 49ers in a game that ended with a 19-12 final score.
But the combination of questionable play-calling and clock management, plus being in his fourth season with a Cowboys team that has been regarded as one of the most-talented in the NFL over the past three years is going to put a bright spotlight on McCarthy.
McCarthy has led the Cowboys to 35 wins since the start of the 2021 season. That's tied with the 49ers for second-most in the NFL, trailing only the Kansas City Chiefs (36).
The Cowboys haven't advanced beyond the divisional round since they last won the Super Bowl in 1995. They are set up to win the NFC East for the second time in three years if they defeat the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
If the Cowboys beat Washington, they will be the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. They could also win the division title if the Philadelphia Eagles lose to the New York Giants.