Dallas Cowboys

Is Mike McCarthy leading Cowboys to mediocrity?

Updated Jun. 16, 2022 7:11 p.m. ET

The Dallas Cowboys scheduled eight mandatory minicamp practices beginning Tuesday, but head coach Mike McCarthy canceled the second day of minicamp for team bonding at Topgolf.

And considering the looming season is one where "America's Team" needs to make a huge turnaround, Colin Cowherd was critical of McCarthy's decision to end minicamp early, and also posited that Dallas's third-year head coach is "trying too hard."

Mike McCarthy cancels Cowboys practice for team bonding at Topgolf

The Dallas Cowboys scheduled eight of a possible nine mandatory minicamp practices. However, Head Coach Mike McCarthy decided to cancel the second day of minicamp for team bonding at a local Topgolf. Colin Cowherd took issue with the decision.

"He's always kind of trying a little too hard, and I don't think you can ever fool players," Cowherd said.

Cowherd singled out a few instances where McCarthy went, in his opinion, above and beyond. He recalled McCarthy smashing a watermelon to prove a point before a game against the Minnesota Vikings and having self-proclaimed "spontaneity mojo moments" during practices.

"If [the Cowboys] play the Rams tomorrow, of all those boxes you check, do you think they would win the coaching matchup?'" Cowherd said. "No. You would think you have no shot there. You'd be praying that he doesn't screw it up."

Dallas has a competitive start to their season, with five of its first 10 opponents being playoff teams from the 2021 season. Cowherd believes Dallas will be sitting around .500 by its Thanksgiving matchup against the New York Giants.

"They start with [Tom] Brady and Joe Burrow. Good news, they'll get them at home," Cowherd said. "Then they go to the Rams, to playoff Philadelphia, to Green Bay, and Minnesota. So by about Thanksgiving, you will have an answer for the Cowboys."

Dallas' schedule lightens up around Thanksgiving, with five of its last seven games coming against non-playoff teams.

Cowherd believes, however, that Dallas will have already lost its momentum by that juncture of the season after suffering through its early-season gauntlet of a schedule.

"Jerry has always been a year or more patient with his coaches. He was very patient with Jason Garrett," Cowherd said.

Cowherd predicts that Dallas will lose to both Brady and Burrow, the Rams, Philadelphia, Green Bay and Minnesota.

That explained, a rough year could be on the horizon for McCarthy and the Cowboys — but will that be an immediate threat to McCarthy's job?