For the second consecutive year, the Dallas Cowboys will take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their season opener this Sunday night. All eyes will be on this game, but one NFL insider sees this matchup as an opportunity for Cowboys' head coach, Mike McCarthy to make a statement.

Dan Graziano on McCarthy during his ESPN appearance on Thursday:

"Mike McCarthy, Cowboys. No coach enters this season with more eyes on him. McCarthy is set up to be the punching bag if the Cowboys have a disappointing season, and especially if they lead the league in penalties for the second year in a row. As the overseer and tone-setter for the team, McCarthy is ultimately where the blame will go if the Cowboys look sloppy and undisciplined this year, and that starts Week 1. They played an outstanding game in the opener against Tampa Bay last year and barely lost.

"I don't think McCarthy has to win Sunday night against the Bucs, but it surely would help him if the team looked the way it did in Week 1 of 2021."

The Cowboys battled the Buccaneers down to the last possession a season ago, losing in the final seconds to a field goal after taking a one-point lead with under two minutes to play. Despite the loss, the Cowboys won six consecutive games afterward and finished 12-5, and made the postseason. Of course, the Cowboys would rather change the outcome this time around, especially to avoid the possibility of an 0-2 start with the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals coming to town in Week 2.

McCarthy has had a rollercoaster start to his tenure with the Cowboys. The 2020 season was a disaster as COVID restrictions during the offseason and a monsoon of injuries crushed any chances of a successful year, and the Cowboys finished 6-10. As mentioned earlier, last season ended up in a playoff appearance, but the Cowboys looked unprepared and flat in their first-round loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

For Dallas, it's simple. They would like to see a sign of the success that McCarthy had with the Green Bay Packers when he won 10 playoff games and a Super Bowl (2010) in 13 seasons. When it comes to the Cowboys, the expectations are always big, especially after making the postseason.

Team owner Jerry Jones has expressed his confidence in McCarthy going forward and that will only increase with a strong showing, or better yet a victory on Sunday.

Feature image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports