COWBOYS
What is Mike McCarthy’s plans for the Dallas Cowboys to improve on the road in 2024?
The Cowboys had a nearly two-season long home-win streak, but their road games were a nightmare last year. Here’s how the HC plans to deal with it in 2024.
Last year, the Cowboys finished the regular season at 12-5 and all five of those losses came on the road. In fact, they were on a home winning streak of 16 games. They lost one game at AT&T Stadium to start the 2022 season and didn’t lose another at home again until their humiliating loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card game in January 2024.
Still, their home game play was significantly better than their play on the road, having gone 4-5 in away games last season. Head coach Mike McCarthy is determined to change that in the 2024 season and he has a plan.
Mike McCarthy’s plan to end Cowboys’ road game woes
McCarthy has a lot on the line this season, as he’s in the final year of his contract. While it’s always important to a head coach for his team to do well, it’s arguably even more so for McCarthy this year. He insists he’s just focused on the seasons rather than a contract extension, but the reality is that this could be his last year in Dallas if they don’t have postseason success, and that starts with winning on the road in the regular season.
McCarthy’s plan is to have the team arrive to away games earlier than usual, spend some time in the stadium, and get accustomed to the environment. It’s quite a simple plan, but small things can turn into big things and if made into a ritual, it could make a difference in uniting the team and giving them a feel for what they’re about to step into before game time.
The theory will be put to the test very soon. The Cowboys open up the regular season on the road this Sunday, September 8 as they face the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field in Ohio. You can follow all the action with our live text coverage of the game (brought to you by yours truly) right here on AS USA.