Cowboys' Jerry Jones: Mike McCarthy Has 'Got a Lot to Do' with Dallas' 2-0 Start

The Dallas Cowboys are the fifth team in the Super Bowl era to score at least 70 points and allow 10 or fewer through the first two games of the season, per Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams.

Owner Jerry Jones told reporters Sunday that head coach Mike McCarthy deserves credit for that.

"I liked the way Mike [McCarthy] was very visible today, his approach to how we're going to be offensively. All the way around. He had this charted out," Jones said. "... I can't say enough about Mike McCarthy here. Y'all give him his due here. He's got a lot to do with how these two games have come out."

McCarthy took over play-calling from former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore this season. He helped lead the Cowboys to their 40-0 season-opening shutout of the New York Giants and Sunday's 30-10 triumph over the New York Jets.

The Cowboys coach brought more than a decade of play-calling experience into his new role in Dallas.

McCarthy worked four seasons as offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints and one for San Francisco 49ers between 2000 and 2005, then regularly called plays during his 13 seasons as head coach for the Green Bay Packers.

Heading into 2023, McCarthy's communication with the Cowboys offense earned praise from quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Jones himself.

"I actually thought that when Mike came in that one of his top qualities were the job he had done as play-caller and head coach," Jones told reporters in August, per Schuyler Dixon for the Associated Press. "We're in better shape to do it now than then. He's got a better idea of how he'd like to tweak, change, whatever you want to call that. I think this is a heckuva way to do it. I think we're going to get a lot out of this."

After Moore's departure following the Cowboys' divisional-round loss to the 49ers, McCarthy found himself on the hot seat heading into the season.

Even if he has dispelled early doubts with a strong start to the season, the real test for McCarthy will come in the postseason. After consecutive 12-win campaigns ended in playoff disappointment for the 2021 and 2022 Cowboys, regular-season success may not be enough to satisfy Jones and the rest of the Dallas front office.