Devastating playoff loss has Bill Belichick connected to new NFC team

In the days since the Patriots announced they were moving on from Bill Belichick after 24 years, several teams have been connected to the head coach to fill their vacancies for the 2024 season. Some believe more openings will be coming as a result of playoff losses, which is what is being debated now after the Packers shockingly blew out the Cowboys at home on Sunday afternoon.

Mike McCarthy's tenure since coming out of retirement in 2020 to become Dallas' head coach has been mostly disappointing. He was brought in to turn the ship around since they believed they had a stout offense around Dak Prescott and a defense that would create fear in opponents.

McCarthy had worked with Hall of Fame caliber players during his time with the Packers, so bringing that experience (including a Super Bowl win) to Dallas was a selling point for owner Jerry Jones. It likely enticed him to get back to the NFL after being ousted by Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay; a return to a team that looked ready to go would certainly be appealing.

But in the four seasons since he became the coach, the Cowboys have consistently underdelivered, and they did that again during Super Wild Card Weekend.

The pressure was solely on the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy to go home with a win on Sunday

Winning the NFC East and securing the third seed in the conference made for a great start to the playoffs for the Cowboys, and facing an overlooked opponent like the Packers seemed like icing on the cake. But it appears that's how they viewed their opponents, who came out swinging immediately and didn't let off the gas for the entire 60-minute game.

After ending their first drive with a touchdown, the defense followed suit by snagging an interception, which the offense turned into a score as well. Later in the first half, they got into the end zone again with a pick-six, bringing the score to 27-0 with just under two minutes to go until halftime.

It was a shocking turn of events, as Dallas was heavily favored coming into this matchup. They had a nearly unstoppable offense all season long, led by CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard, but they looked anything but for most of the afternoon.

The game picked up in the second half, making it look a lot closer than it actually was, but the Cowboys still went home with another disappointing and embarrassing loss, prompting questions about McCarthy's job security moving forward.

Because of that, Bill Belichick's name has started to be connected to the team if McCarthy is indeed let go, and his relationship with Jerry Jones seems to have people believing it's more than just a little possible.

But is that really a good idea for either side?

Bill Belichick to the Cowboys doesn't make a lot of sense

Sure, Belichick would be walking into a situation far better than the one he left. The offense seemingly has their quarterback, although some would argue he may be one of the biggest problems, and some talented receivers (Brandin Cooks, CeeDee Lamb). They have an up-and-coming tight end in Luke Schoonmaker and a defense led by Micah Parsons, whom Belichick has spoken highly of in the past.

The roster is ideal, but is working with Jerry Jones?

If the rumors are true that a rift between Belichick and Kraft was brewing for years, and it seemed to boil over when the owner became more involved with team decisions, then pairing up with a guy like Jones in Dallas seems almost like a lateral move.

However, maybe none of that matters if he's allowed to spend and draft who he wants and prove he can be successful outside of New England. Perhaps that's what's most important to him at this stage in his career.

Regardless, adding the Cowboys to the growing list of teams that could want to hire Belichick seems to be the thing to do now until we have a definitive answer about McCarthy's future, which could come as soon as this week.

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