The NFC East has fielded multiple playoff teams for the third straight season, but that doesn’t mean the Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles aren’t under pressure. Depending on how Super Wild Card Weekend goes — or the playoffs in general — both teams could explore coaching staff changes.
Per CBS Sports HQ NFL Insider Josina Anderson, the Eagles are already considering staff changes this offseason, especially when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles just became the sixth team all-time to make the playoffs after going 1-5 or worse in the final six games of the regular season, and already made a change in defensive leadership last month with Matt Patricia calling plays instead of Sean Desai. Philly finished with the seventh-worst defense in yards allowed per game (356.1) and third-worst in points allowed per game (25.2).
As for the Cowboys, a league source told Anderson that “anything can still happen” regarding a major change. If the Cowboys are upset by the Green Bay Packers this weekend, all eyes are going to immediately turn to head coach Mike McCarthy — especially with Bill Belichick’s name becoming available. It’s an intriguing coaching carousel in general, with names like Mike Vrabel and Jim Harbaugh also out there.
In four seasons with Dallas, McCarthy has gone 42-25, and 1-2 in the playoffs. Both losses came against the San Francisco 49ers in back-to-back years. The Cowboys could also be preparing to lose defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who could be the leading candidate to take over for Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks, per CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones.
