Why Mike McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys hinges on a win against the Giants

History will be on the Dallas Cowboys' side as they travel to the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants on Thursday night. Dak Prescott has won 12 straight games against his NFC East rivals, for starters, and Daniel Jones is just 1-6 against Dallas — and a whopping 1-12 in primetime games so far in his career. For a Cowboys team reeling after two consecutive losses, this matchup couldn't come at a better time.

The team better hope so, at least. Because if two straight losses become three on Thursday, the Cowboys might not be able to rescue their 2024 season. If that seems like an overly dramatic take on a Week 4 game, consider the structure of Dallas' upcoming schedule — and the precipice this team finds itself dangling off of after so much postseason disappointment. There's far more than a divisional win on the line on Thursday night; this game has the chance to shape the Cowboys organization this year and in the years to come.

Mike McCarthy's future with the Cowboys is riding on a win vs. Giants

It's no secret that McCarthy entered 2024 on the hottest of seats. Many thought Jerry Jones would show his head coach the door after the playoff embarrassment against the Green Bay Packers to end last season. But Jones opted to simply kick the can down the road, neither firing McCarthy nor extending him but instead letting him play out the final year of his contract. That, predictably, has led to a situation where just about every game is a referendum on McCarthy's future.

Early returns aren't great, to say the least. Dallas got off to a strong start in Week 1, but in hindsight that seems to have more to do with the state of the Cleveland Browns than anything the Cowboys did right. Mike Zimmer's defense has gotten pushed around two weeks in a row, first in a demolition at the hands of the New Orleans Saints and then by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens that wasn't nearly as close as the 28-25 final score would have you believe. Starting 1-2 in a win-or-bust season, it's safe to say that McCarthy needs to turn things around quickly to save his job, and Thursday's matchup against the Giants provides just about the only chance to get right for the foreseeable future.

After the game against New York, Dallas will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the 3-0 Steelers and then head back home for a marquee matchup with the 2-1 Detroit Lions. Just splitting those two games would be an accomplishment, and with the way the Cowboys are playing right now, 0-2 feels more likely. If the Cowboys can't find a win against the Giants, the team could suddenly find itself staring a 2-4 or 1-5 start in the face — entering a bye in Week 7 that would represent a perfect opportunity for Jones to finally pull the plug on McCarthy's tenure. It's hard to believe that, given everything Dallas has riding on this season — and with the team's salary cap crunch only getting more severe moving forward — Jones would have the patience to sit with a losing record for a week without making any changes. No pressure, Mike.