The Dallas Cowboys (8-8) fell short of a postseason berth in the 2019 NFL season and it did not come without consequences. After losing to the NFC East division rival Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) in Week 16, a win in the final week meant nothing as the Eagles won their fourth straight, beating the New York Giants, to punch their ticket as the fourth seed in the NFC playoffs.
As a result, the Cowboys saw longtime head coach Jason Garrett dismissed and eventually reunite with the Giants as their offensive coordinator. Dallas then hired former Green Bay Packers head coach and Super Bowl champion Mike McCarthy to take the reins on the franchise while the Eagles lost in the first round of the postseason to the superior Seattle Seahawks.
The McCarthy hire was slightly controversial due to the awkward timing. The head-coaching search was supposed to be exhaustive and well-vetted following Garrett's ten-year tenure in charge. Instead, McCarthy was quickly hired after a weekend sleepover at team owner Jerry Jones' house.
Nevertheless, McCarthy should help raise the Cowboys' profile and improve franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, who had a career year in his fourth season under center for America's Team. Prescott threw for the second-most passing yards behind Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2019 campaign, tossing 4,902 yards with a 65.1 completion percentage for 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Meanwhile, star running back Ezekiel Elliott was as dominant as ever, rushing for 1,357 yards and a dozen touchdowns alongside 420 more receiving yards and a pair of TD's.
The Eagles snuck into the playoffs and saw franchise gunslinger Carson Wentz tragically injured in the first quarter of his first postseason start after previous injuries sidelined him from Philly's Super Bowl victory two years ago.
While the Eagles could patch together a good backfield in rising sophomore rusher Miles Saunders and the surprising Boston Scott, Philly is very much a pass-first offense with Wentz under center.
Decision: Cowboys
Despite the league-wide consensus of Eagles head coach Doug Pederson's prowess on the sidelines, the Cowboys are built for a brighter future. Both teams' defenses are about evenly matched, but there is more pessimism about Philly's due to a greatly depleted secondary that will no doubt be their bane in 2020, too, unless major free-agency upgrades occur.
On offense, however, every indication points to the Cowboys continuing to milk the talent of Prescott and Elliott alongside talented receivers in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup.
While the second Prescott has a bad game criticism will undoubtedly turn to McCarthy, who had a falling out with Aaron Rodgers at the end of the coach's tenure in Green Bay, there is little reason to believe Dallas' offense will take a hit with the new coach.
In fact, Prescott should continue building his case as one of the NFL's best quarterbacks in 2020, while the Eagles make do with Wentz for the time being.
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