Ex Packers boss to take over
Cowboys get their man at head coach, hiring Super Bowl winner McCarthy
Jan 6, 2020, 11:14 am
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Mike McCarthy
The Dallas Cowboys did not act quickly in deciding former head coach Jason Garrett's fate. The decision dragged out for nearly a week after the season.
They did, however, move quickly once the decision to fire Garrett was made.
The Cowboys on Monday named former Packers boss Mike McCarthy to be the new head coach in Dallas.
McCarthy sat out last season after being fired by the Green Bay Packers 12 games into the 2018 season.
Solid track record
In 13 seasons in Green Bay, McCarthy went 125-77-2 in the regular season for a .619 winning percentage. In the playoffs, he was 10-8 and the Packers won the Super Bowl after the 2010 season.
The Packers made the playoffs nine times in his 13 seasons, including three trips to the NFC Championship Game. Interestingly, he had a 7-3 record against the Cowboys.
The negatives
Things did not end well for McCarthy in Green Bay. The Packers went 7-9 in 2017 and were 4-7-1 in 2018 when he was let go with four games remaining in the season. He sparred with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the end of his tenure, and the Packers bounced back to go 13-3 in the year after McCarthy was let go.
An upgrade over Garrett
Still, his numbers tower over Garrett's. The former Cowboys coach was 85-67 over his 10 years in Dallas, making the playoffs just three times and going 2-3 in those appearances, never getting past the divisional round. Garrett had only one losing season, going 4-12 in 2015, but the Cowboys went just 8-8 this season in a year where they were expected to be Super Bowl contenders.
The bottom line
If McCarthy can replicate his successful seasons in Green Bay, Cowboys fans should be thrilled. However, if the Cowboys get the McCarthy who was run out of town after two losing seasons, the hire will be considered a failure. Odds are they will get good McCarthy, as sometimes teams just need a new voice after a long tenure. The Cowboys certainly needed that after 10 years with Garrett.
With McCarthy, they have that new voice. Whether or not it translates to new results remains to be seen, but the Cowboys have their man.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.