Mike McCarthy’s explanation for fake punt is infuriating

Mike McCarthy justified his awful fake punt with an even worse explanation.

There were plenty of lowlights to discuss in the Dallas Cowboys’ 41-16 bludgeoning at the hands of the hated Washington Football Team, but the creme de la creme was Mike McCarthy decided to fake a punt while trailing by four and facing a 4th and 10 at his own 23-yard line. The actual play, a reverse to wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, resulted in a one-yard loss and a Washington touchdown on the next play.

McCarthy, as one would expect, saw nothing wrong with a decision that even the most inexperienced high school coach wouldn’t pull the trigger on, saying the call was “solid” while praising the design of the play.

Mike McCarthy might be coaching for his job

While the fake punt was the straw that broke the camel’s back, Ron Rivera and Washington were thoroughly outplaying Dallas for most of the game. Chase Young and Washington’s vaunted defensive line was going to town after the Zack Martin injury, while the porous Dallas defense made rookie Antonio Gibson look like John Riggins after he sliced through that bunch for three touchdowns.

Playing with backup quarterbacks and a second-string defense for most of the season isn’t ideal, but the Cowboys aren’t even competitive half the time, and McCarthy’s rigidity, which doomed him in Green Bay, has forced him to become desperate, trying out half-baked ideas like this fake punt.

Dallas not only looks less schematically innovative and less aggressive after they replaced Jason Garrett with McCarthy, but they look completely undisciplined and clueless in critical situations. If that, coupled with a defiant, deflective attitude that ultimately helped lead to his downfall with the Green Bay Packers, isn’t grounds for termination at the end of this year, what is?