Page 20 - AT

A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 7 January 2020

AP source: Cowboys pick McCarthy to replace Garrett as coach

By SCHUYLER DIXON three playoff wins since a second straight year
AP Pro Football Writer their last championship. without a postseason trip
The Dallas Cowboys didn't With two-time MVP Aaron for the Packers.
take long to settle on Mike Rodgers as his quarter- With a mandate to get the
McCarthy as their coach back, McCarthy reached Cowboys past the division-
after waiting a week to an- the playoffs eight straight al round for the first time
nounce they were moving years from 2009-16, beating in nearly 25 years, Garrett
on from Jason Garrett. the Garrett-led Cowboys couldn't build on a 3-0 start.
McCarthy, who won a Su- twice in that stretch. Dallas went 4-8 in the next
per Bowl at the home of The Cowboys believe 12 games with a pair of
the Cowboys nine years they have their next fran- three-game losing streaks.
ago as Green Bay's coach, chise quarterback in Dak The Cowboys still had a
has agreed to become the Prescott, who was the 2016 chance to make the play-
ninth coach in team his- NFL Offensive Rookie of the offs with a win at Philadel-
tory, a person with direct In this Aug. 24, 2018, file photo, Green Bay Packers head coach Year after replacing the in- phia in Week 16, but the
knowledge of the deal said Mike McCarthy watches during the first half of an NFL preseason jured Tony Romo and never 17-9 loss handed their post-
Monday. football game against the Oakland Raiders, in Oakland, Calif. relinquishing the starting season fate to the Eagles
The person spoke to The As- Associated Press job. for the final week. Phila-
sociated Press on condition Prescott, whose rookie delphia beat the New York
of anonymity because the Green Bay made nine trips Dallas hasn't been that far contract is expiring, and Giants 34-17, eliminating
team hasn't announced to the postseason in his 13 in the playoffs since the last two-time rushing champion Dallas despite its 47-16 win
the decision. years under McCarthy. The of the franchise's five Su- Ezekiel Elliott have made over Washington.
McCarthy interviewed over 56-year-old was out of foot- per Bowl titles to finish the the playoffs twice in four Dallas finished 8-8 four times
the weekend, before the ball this season after getting 1995 season. The Cowboys seasons and got their first under Garrett, who had an
Cowboys made the an- fired during what ended up missed the playoffs six times playoff victory in 2018 after 87-70 record, including 2-3
nouncement Sunday that being a second straight los- in Garrett's nine full seasons. losing their postseason de- in the playoffs, in nine-plus
Garrett wouldn't return af- ing season for the Packers McCarthy also interviewed but to Rodgers and McCar- seasons.
ter 9½ seasons. in 2018. with Cleveland, Carolina thy with Dallas as the NFC's Despite never winning more
Dallas missed the playoffs McCarthy led the Packers and the New York Giants. top seed in 2016. than one playoff game in
at 8-8 with high expecta- to at least 10 wins in eight of He went 125-77-2 in the reg- McCarthy was fired after a season, the 53-year-old
tions in a make-or-break his first 11 seasons, including ular season with the Pack- an embarrassing loss at Garrett has the club's sec-
season for Garrett, whose four trips to the NFC cham- ers and 10-8 in the playoffs. Lambeau Field to Arizona, ond-longest tenure behind
contract expires next week. pionship game. The Cowboys have just a defeat that all but sealed Tom Landry.q