The Dallas Cowboys have been playing far from their best ball over the last month, but that hasn’t shaken head coach Mike McCarthy’s confidence in his team to come out of Sunday’s game against the Washington Football Team with a win.
Talking with reporters for the first time since returning from a 10-day COVID-19 absence that forced him to miss last week’s game, McCarthy left no doubts as to who he thinks will come out on top.
“We’re going to win this game,” McCarthy said Thursday. “I’m confident in that, and just the prep that’s gone into it. But more importantly, we want to improve, too, along the way.”
Here’s the full quote from McCarthy…
(via @dallascowboys) https://t.co/ILRohtpuGb pic.twitter.com/paiVm3oNbK
— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_Cadeaux) December 9, 2021
He isn’t the only person at The Star confident Dallas will leave FedEx Field with a win, either. Quarterback Dak Prescott backed his coach’s declaration.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott on if he supports Mike McCarthy's guarantee of a win against Washington: Shit yeah
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) December 9, 2021
Dallas is favored over Washington by 4.5 points on Tipico Sportsbook, with -210 odds on the Cowboys moneyline, but the team’s play since Prescott’s return from a calf strain hasn’t inspired much confidence.
The Cowboys are 2-3 since the start of November, while seeing major fluctuations in an offense that previously scored 35 points in four straight games during a 6-1 start. They’ve done it just once since then and have scored 20 or fewer points three times.
Washington, on the other hand, is undefeated since the start of November. A four-game winning streak has catapulted the team to 6-6 and within two games of Dallas in the NFC East. They’ve won with ball control but remain a bottom-10 scoring team, so Sunday’s game will represent a true clash in styles. The Cowboys’ offense moves the ball best through the air, and even amid their struggles, remain second in scoring in the NFL.
After what he’s seen in film, McCarthy is apparently confident his team’s style will win out. Why say it out loud and provide a confident Washington team with any additional motivation is anyone’s guess, but McCarthy wouldn’t back off his statement when given a chance.
“What am I supposed to say? I fully expect to win every game I’ve competed in,” McCarthy said. “That’s what sports is all about. Trust me, I understand how hard it is. They’re working hard, we’re working hard but yeah, we’re clearly planning on going to Washington to win the game. I mean, there’s no doubt about that.”
