Even though the Dallas Cowboys showed up on Monday Night Football without their starting quarterback, they disappointed. All week, Cowboys fans discussed the outlook without Dak Prescott and agreed it was bleak. But probably, we didn't believe it to be bad enough to lose to the Arizona Cardinals 38-10.

Despite sitting atop the NFC East with a 2-4 record, Cowboys' fans are looking for someone to blame. And of course, the first one in line is the head of the team, Head Coach Mike McCarthy.

It's only Week 7 of the first season of his tenure, so it's way too early to judge McCarthy. Transitioning from one coach to another in the NFL doesn't usually yield quick results. In fact, those teams typically struggle in a coaches' first team. The Dallas Cowboys hoped to overcome this thanks to a talented offense, but let's talk about that for a second.

Is Mike McCarthy working with the offense we thought he'd be working? Sure, the wide receivers we hyped all offseason are there. But that's about it.

On Monday Night, the Cowboys had just one of their projected five starters in the offensive line, Connor Williams. The other four were out due to injury, including Tyron Smith's and La'el Collins' season-ending injuries. Starting tight end Blake Jarwin tore his ACL in Week 1. Ezekiel Elliott has fumbled five times in six games. As much as many want to blame that on coaching, Elliott is supposed to be a top-tier running back. I'm not putting that on coaching, but on execution.

And then, there's Dak Prescott. Anytime you're down one starting quarterback, things are likely to go wrong.

Many have took to social media to suggest that maybe Jason Garrett wasn't the problem. To which I say, come on, now. During Garrett's tenure, we witnessed a Dallas Cowboys team that couldn't adjust to one or two absences. Imagine how things would've looked like if half the offense was injured. Not to mention the injuries on defense.

Not to make excuses, but I don't think we can jump to many conclusions regarding McCarthy. Now, granted, there are concerns. And plenty of them.

One came to mind when the Cowboys lined up to kick a 58-yard field goal while down 28-3 with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter. It wasn't even a "take the points" situation considering it was a 58-yard attempt.

so… we're throwing deep on

1st & 10 and
2nd & 10 and
3rd & 10 and

then attempting 58 yard FGs on 4th & 10 down 28-3?

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 20, 2020

This particular decision stood out because I couldn't help remembering Mike McCarthy's comments about analytics in the offseason. He talked about bringing the use of data into his coaching philosophy to make better decisions in game.

Yet, since Week 1, the Cowboys have made some really questionable decisions. They've been more aggressive, but things like that FG make us question if McCarthy really bought into analytics. It doesn't seem like he did.

Then, there's the game plan for their first game without Dak. This team signed Andy Dalton because of his experience as a starter in the NFL, yet he looked like a regular backup quarterback throwing checkdowns early in the game. The Cowboys averaged 4.92 yards per attempt in 54 passes from Dalton. It wasn't until later in the game that Dalton was forced to throw deeper passes while trailing big.

One would've thought with a QB like Andy Dalton, the Cowboys would've been more aggressive. Of course they had to adjust to Dak's absence, but playing conservative won't win you games, especially if you're carrying a struggling defense.

How this team adjusts going forward will tell us a lot about Mike McCarthy but as of right now, I don't believe there's much to say. It's definitely not the time to put him on the hot seat even if question marks are already present.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys will travel to Washington to play next Sunday, a game they should be able to win. But through six weeks, are sure about anything?

Featured Image Via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports