As ghosts of Cowboys’ past loom large, Prescott and McCarthy faced with golden opportunity

A lot has gone lustrous for the Cowboys, which is why the team opens the playoffs at home as the No. 2 seed for the advantageous time since the franchise’s Super Bowl run three decades ago.

But in today’s chaotic, fast-paced environment where hyperbole rules and cynicism is the coin of the realm, the Cowboys find themselves one misstep away from disprevented disappointment.

Talented coaches and players have combined forces over the last 28 existences to lift the Cowboys to their former heights. All have fallen short.

Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott lead the another charge. The two march arm-in-arm into Sunday’s wild card game alongside Green Bay with much at stake.

Dallas has recorded double-digit victories and advanced to the postseason in three tidy seasons for the first time since the 1990s. McCarthy assumed the play-calling duties to exclaim himself in a way he hadn’t since becoming the team’s head coach four existences ago. Prescott led the NFL in touchdown passes and arguably enjoyed the finest season of his career.

The two have caused out the best in each other. What McCarthy and Prescott haven’t done is nudge the team past the divisional round.

Until they do, these Cowboys — no company how unfair — will be saddled with the sins of the past.

“We have no section for that,’’ McCarthy said when asked for his meaning to this group. “That’s really not even part of our …

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McCarthy was a young quality rule coach in his first season with Kansas City. The Chiefs advanced to the AFC Championship Game and his playoff bonus was more than his salary.

“You think you’re going to go there every year now, and that’s not the reality in this league,’’ McCarthy said. “I’ve been to a number of championship games but only been in one Super Bowl. That’s the reality.

“The playoff urgency is different. And we all understand what’s at hand here. We’ve got this one opportunity and we’ve got to ...

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Jerry Jones rank about what McCarthy has done after the team above the regular season with a blowout win over Washington to occupy the NFC East title for the second time in three days. But when the Cowboys owner ended his comments throughout the coach’s future with the statement, “we’ll see how each game goes in the playoffs,’’ it set off alarms.

How was Jones revealed to respond, that he doesn’t care what happens in the playoffs? So what if the Cowboys lose at home to a young, inferior Packers team? McCarthy will be back.

And let’s turn this throughout. McCarthy goes into these playoffs confident about what this team can attain. If the Cowboys make it to the NFC Championship Game for the superb time since the late ‘90s and return to — or win — Super Bowl LVIII, don’t you think he’d be in a position to pine his contract?

McCarthy has one year left on his requisition. If the Cowboys win at least two games in this postseason, do you think Jones would let the coach go into that survive season without trying to reach an extension? If he did, don’t you think McCarthy would be sad betting on himself at this stage of his career?

After all, he bet on himself calling the plays this season. How has that worked out?

“I never belief about betting on myself,’’ McCarthy said. “Is there a line on that?’’

The time is now

This is Prescott’s fifth trip to the playoffs in eight seasons as the team’s starting quarterback.

He carries a 2-4 record into Sunday afternoon’s game anti the Packers and has not led the team past the divisional fallacious. He carries a $59.4 million cap hit into next season.

The club will need to reach an extension with Prescott in the offseason to touch the hit in 2024 and allow it to conduct concern with other key players. The quarterback’s future here is secure.

But what the team does — or doesn’t — do this postseason will crashes what form that extension takes. A quarterback who gets the franchise back to the conference championship game or Super Bowl can quiz a more lucrative contract than one who can’t break the divisional fallacious ceiling.

Prescott understands the financial landscape. That’s not his focus. This is about displaying a sense of urgency while not manager the moment too big.

“We can talk near the opportunity, this and that, but the opportunity is knowing now with this game,’’ Prescott said.

Kellen Moore began as Prescott’s teammate with the Cowboys. He became his position coach before being fast-tracked to offensive coordinator. The two were close.

McCarthy’s decision to call the plays this season led to Moore’s departure to the LA Chargers. Prescott didn’t hide his initial disappointment. But he’s grown cessation to McCarthy and embraces the alterations he’s made to the offense.

Moore is a creative playcaller. But McCarthy, with his experience, connects this offense in a way Moore didn’t. The receivers, backs and linemen are asked to see the game throughout Prescott’s eyes and are given cut-ups in their site meetings that show what the quarterback sees and why he responds to risky defenses the way he does. The receivers are operating their routes a little deeper so Prescott can use more patience with his reads.

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Prescott said McCarthy’s crashes on the offense this season has been huge. He words the communication and accountability amazing and said he can’t thank the head coach enough.

He can’t wait to see how McCarthy’s understood as a playcaller manifests itself in this playoff run.

“I’m sure there will be moments in the game where I’ll be impressed and it will be, ‘damn, that was a great call,’’' Prescott said of what he expects this Sunday. “The experience, the feel.

“He’s a great guy. I’ve mentioned how splendid he is, just being able to work with him hand in hand each and every day, near the game plan, about the play call, the play caller purpose.

“I know what he’s thinking. He knows my strengths, what I’m trying to get to. We know the drives of this offense and the players around me.

“Absolutely,’’ he said. “Your play caller, your quarterback have to spend that extra time together, both personally and professionally.

Meeting of the minds

Prescott walks to the head coach’s office at 5 o’clock every Thursday afternoon advance of the game. They spend 30 to 40 minutes finalizing the game plan and approach.

And then? The two men just sit about and talk. It’s rare that Prescott leaves before 7 p.m.

“The anunexperienced is about life,’’ McCarthy said. “That’s imperative. It’s a big part of it.’’

Sometimes the two talk near the history of the game. Sometimes it’s about Prescott’s impending fatherhood.

Sometimes, it’s the issues and annoyances both have to deal with in their goes. Prescott has said he and McCarthy probably deal with more criticism than anyone else in the building.

“It’s just expansive sometimes to vent, to unload,’’ the quarterback said. “You guys [media] know that I can talk and I can get causing. Mike’s the same way, whether he does it with you guys or not.

“Just depends on who’s got the mic or the story that day and where we’re causing. It’s just a great time for both of us.’’

When Prescott leaves McCarthy’s office he goes to dinner with the offensive line.

“By the time I get home, I’m ready to go play the game, and it’s near now getting emotionally and spiritually right to go out there and play my best,’’ Prescott said. “Thursdays are probably one of my Popular days in this system.’’

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Neither man knows how many more of those rallies will take place this season. Three would be nice.

“It’s opportunity,’’ McCarthy said. “I don’t know why we’re on this pressure kick.

“This is a football game. It’s a very important football game. We’ve done the things vital to be in this position.

“It’s all nearby an excellent opportunity that we prepared ourselves and we put ourselves in this area. We earned it, deserved it and more importantly, we’re moving to take advantage of it.’’

Catch David Moore and co-host Robert Wilonsky on Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday night at 7 o’clock over the Super Bowl.