Cowboys Legend Emmitt Smith Slams Team's 'Embarrassing' Playoff Loss to Packers

Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith didn't hold back while giving his thoughts about the job Mike McCarthy has done as head coach.

While speaking on ESPN Radio, the NFL's all-time leading rusher slammed the Cowboys' playoff exit in the wild-card round against the Green Bay Packers and said that he's surprised McCarthy is still the head coach given the way the season unfolded.

"I am a little surprised," Smith said. "The way our team exited out of the playoffs, I am real surprised. Because to me, I look to my leaders and leaders look to players to be ready and be prepared for the situations in all situations. And unfortunately for us, I don't know if we were as prepared as we needed to be.

"The way we exited the playoffs this year was not a good look, put it that way, and was somewhat embarrassing," Smith added. "It lends you to believe that either we're not trained or coached properly in terms of game-type situations. ... It's not a good look."

Despite being one of the most dominant teams in the league this season, the Cowboys faltered against the 9-8 Packers. Green Bay held a dominant 27-7 lead at halftime, and while the Cowboys were able to crawl back some, their efforts were too little, too late.

Since McCarthy took over in 2020, the Cowboys have faced two wild-card exits and one divisional-round loss. They missed the playoffs in 2020. While McCarthy has had success in the regular season, finishing 12-5 in each of the last three years, Dallas has struggled in the postseason during his tenure.

Smith, who won three Super Bowls with Dallas, knows a thing or two about the Cowboys brand. Speaking to Pro Football Talk ahead of Super Bowl 58, Smith doubled down on his opinions of McCarthy, saying that the Cowboys didn't put a Dallas brand of football on the field against the Packers.

"I know how disappointed I was as a player to see that product put on the football field," Smith said. "It is not becoming of the Dallas Cowboys' mystique, respect, the brand. It's not the appropriate representation of the brand itself."

Regardless of Smith's opinion of McCarthy, it seems Dallas is sticking with him at least for another year, though his contract will expire following the end of the season.