This time around, Dallas enters as the NFC’s second seed, 8-0 at home and guaranteed at least one more game at AT&T Stadium, where it has a +172 point differential. Dak Prescott led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns as a most valuable player candidate for much of the year, CeeDee Lamb paced the league with 135 receptions and Micah Parsons captained the defense to a top-five campaign in points and yards allowed.
The road to success is already well-paved. That’s been the case for many ill-fated Cowboys teams before, which is perhaps why Jones initially seemed more inclined to take things on a game-to-game basis in the contests that count the most before clarifying how pleased he is with McCarthy’s work two days later.
McCarthy can make the narrative moot by going on a run, starting with dispatching the No. 7 seed Packers, who have won four in a row against the Cowboys and nine of their last 10 dating back to 2009 — although all but two of those came with McCarthy roaming the opposite sideline in green and gold.
If McCarthy falters against his former team, Jones is certain to hear more questions about the 60-year-old head coach’s future.
That’s likely true even if the Cowboys advance but stumble the following week.
The goal, and perhaps the bar, should be reaching an NFC Championship Game and beyond. If the postseason transpires as seeded, Dallas would be on a collision course for the first-seeded 49ers, who have vanquished the Cowboys in two straight playoffs and already embarrassed them, 42-10, in Week 5 this season.
Of course, such a meeting is still a few weeks and several results away.
Jones, McCarthy and the Cowboys will have to see how each game goes before then.