Another year, another lost season. The Dallas Cowboys still have two games left and once again find themselves mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Despite major changes to the coaching staff this past offseason, the Cowboys are on the same trajectory as last year under Mike McCarthy.
Brian Schottenheimer’s freshman situation led many people to call for something along the lines of “biological tank.” By replacing proven veterans with promising young players, the Cowboys can simultaneously learn more about their team and increase their chances of losing somewhat respectably. Obviously, the motivation behind this would be to secure a higher position in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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It was a similar plea heard around Cowboys Nation during McCarthy’s final season last year. The year was 2024, and McCarthy had just completed his fifth and final season under contract. After three straight 12-win seasons, 2024 marked a clear decline for McCarthy’s tenure.
Although the plea and circumstances are similar for this year, the situations are apples and oranges. The first season of a head coaching tenure is about building a culture. The messages are important and have lasting consequences. Send the wrong message early and a coach may never overcome it. That’s why letting off the gas, even a little, is a dangerous proposition, even if there’s seemingly nothing to gain.
With a record of 6-8-1, it would be impossible for the Cowboys to have a winning season. But closing out a two-game winning streak, with Dak Prescott leading the NFL in passing, his weapons operating at peak efficiency and the defense potentially on the rise would all be positive steps in establishing a strong culture for the offseason. This is something that even the vagueest smell of tanking could undermine.
Last season, under a lame-duck head coach and an injury-plagued team, the Cowboys just wanted to turn the page. This season, the Cowboys are trying to build something. Because as useless as these endgames may seem, they hold an intangible value that cannot be quantified. Let’s finish hot.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Culture Shift: How 2025 Is Incomparable to McCarthy’s Final Season
