Many expected head coach Mike McCarthy to take a hit for his team’s poor performance in a crucial game after the Dallas Cowboys were soundly defeated and humiliated at home by the Green Bay Packers in their Wild Card playoff game. Emmitt Smith, a former standout player for the Cowboys, was one of those who believed owner Jerry Jones would fire the head coach.Smith believed the Cowboys would be better off hiring an established head coach like Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions or Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos.
“At first, I would have assumed it would be Sean Payton, but as of right now, I’m not sure. Apart from stealing Dan Campbell from the Detroit Lions because I believe his message—that many people and especially children are missing—I honestly don’t know.
The Cowboys, who finished the regular season with an 8-0 record at AT&T Stadium, were the clear favorites to win the NFC East this year with a 12-5 record. They were 7-point favorites over the 7th-seeded Packers when they won six of those victories by 20 points or more, according to sports gamblers throughout the country.But at the time, Green Bay was winning, and quarterback Jordan Love of the Packers simply destroyed the renowned Dallas defense with his accurate passes. The Cowboys were only within 16 points because of a late rally, as the Packers prevailed 48–32.
The outcome was a great disappointment to former players like Emmitt Smith because the Cowboys had anticipated making it to the NFC Championship Game, if nothing else.
