Despite leading the Dallas Cowboys to back-to-back playoff appearances, there's no debating that Mike McCarthy is doing his best coaching in his fourth season at the helm in Dallas.
The Cowboys clinched a playoff spot last week for the third straight season. Dallas hadn't made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons since 1996 - when the franchise clinched a playoff berth five years in a row.
McCarthy has taken on the responsibility of offensive playcaller this season, a role he asked for in the offseason - leading to the organization's decision to part ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Under McCarthy's watch, The offense got off to a slow start but has found its rhythm (minus the debacle against the Buffalo Bills) over the last several weeks to become one of the highest-scoring units in the NFL. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is playing his best football since his rookie season and was the odds-on favorite to win the league's MVP award until Dallas was dominated in Buffalo last weekend.
With all that being said, is there any possible way that McCarthy doesn't get an extension this offseason?
"I think it completely depends on what happens in January," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said Friday morning on Shan and RJ on 105.3 The Fan. "We've had two straight years where there were strange decisions that contributed to those losses to the 49ers in the postseason. ... And now the playcalling's on him, everything's on him. If and when there's a failure in the playoffs that traces directly back to McCarthy - that's when it could all fall apart."
Meanwhile, Bill Belichick's time appears to be running out in New England, and Florio believes the legendary head coach could be a name to watch in Dallas should McCarthy not return.
"I'm going to tell you guys something that's not a report. It's just something to keep an eye on. And I know that there are folks in New England that have an eye on this possibility. And most people I talk to about it say there's no way in hell that it would ever happen. But if we're looking at the future of Bill Belichick, and we're looking at the non-playoff teams, we're looking in the wrong place. There's a belief in New England that one of the teams that loses in the playoffs is potentially going to say, 'You know what? We got everything we need. We just need a better coach. And there's a better coach available. Let's call the Patriots and lets get Bill Belichick.'
"I just think we need to keep an eye on what might happen if the Cowboys flame out - if it pinned back to McCarthy - and Belichick is available. As crazy as it sounds, it's not impossible that Belichick would be on Jerry's (Jones) radar screen "if" the playoff loss is clearly pinnable on McCarthy."
Florio went on to explain why the marriage could work between Belichick and the Joneses.