Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy's take on playing on a short week foreshadows scary reality vs Giants
"Time management and lack of sleep is the way you get it done," Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters about dealing with a short week in the NFL.On Thursday, the Cowboys will face a New York Giants in a must win showdown as both squads try to avoid falling to a 1-3 record. […]
"Time management and lack of sleep is the way you get it done," Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters about dealing with a short week in the NFL.
On Thursday, the Cowboys will face a New York Giants in a must win showdown as both squads try to avoid falling to a 1-3 record. In previous years, no one would look at the Giants as a legit threat to Dallas, as the Cowboys have gone 6-0 against them in the last three years. In the Dak Prescott era, the quarterback is 12-2 against them.
But 2024 is looking a bit different. The Cowboys can't seem to stop the run and the offense has plenty of flaws it must improve. If the team fails to fix its biggest issues, there are some Giants players that will make them pay for it.
That's why listening to McCarthy speak on the biggest mistake you can make on a short week foreshadows a scary reality for the Cowboys ahead of Thursday Night Football: There just won't be too much time to make adjustments, something they need desperately.
"The worst thing you can do on a Thursday game, regardless of what happened, especially when you don't win that Sunday, is spend a ton of time on that game," explained McCarthy. "And I've done it. But Monday is critical. You have to get the (gameplan for) first, second, and third down in. That's the way I've always done it."
McCarthy is spot on: Short weeks in the NFL are brutal for that reason. But for the Cowboys, right now, it's a scary thought. It's difficult to not spend too much time fixing what went wrong last Sunday. In back-to-back weeks, the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens exposed the run defense issues that were already evident last year still exist.
You just know the New York Giants are going to try their luck aiming for the perimeter as soon as the game starts. They'll have to be ready.
If significant changes are coming to the Cowboys' scheme, it'll likely be until after Thursday's game, when the team will have what many call a "mini bye week." For now, it'll be about digging deep and proving they're still the superior foe in the NFC East. That'll mostly have to happen through better execution from the players.
