After much anticipation, we officially know the Dallas Cowboys 2022 Schedule.

While I could go into detail about every game, I wanted to write up something different and discuss whether Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy could be on the hot seat when the club heads into their Week Nine Bye.

To some fans, if you ask them about McCarthy, they will likely tell you they would pay for his one-way ticket out of Jerry World. However, others would tell you to give him the benefit of the doubt.

To clarify, I’m not calling for McCarthy’s firing, but the reality is we could be talking about which candidate could replace him midway through the year.

(Also, trust me, I know this may be a way-too-early discussion, but debates are always fun.)

With all of that in mind, check it all out below.

There is a chance the Cowboys could be sitting below or right at .500 heading into the bye.

In March, I wrote a Way-too-Early Win/Loss Predictions for the season, but this was way before I knew the Cowboys week-by-week schedule. Although I knew the opponents, after seeing where each of them was slotted, I may have to change my record a bit.

Rather than rambling on about their whole season, the one thing I wanted to focus on was their first eight games that will define them in the early part of the year. Going back to my earlier article, you see with their first eight opponents, I predicted them to win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears.

On the other hand, I predicted them to lose against the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles. However, if you look more in-depth at those eight games, you could argue that some of the wins and losses I gave the franchise could be flip-flopped.

Regardless or not, totaling up all of those wins and losses from my original choices, you get a 4-4 record. To some, that may be a good record, but if you’re telling me the team would be happy with that–then I got some beachside property to sell you in Idaho.

Every year the club knows there is extra pressure on them to make a Super Bowl run, and anything less is automatically deemed a failure. While it would be wrong to say they’re out of the playoff hunt completely at the mid-point of the season, what happens if they’re worse than 4-4?

You’re likely going to lose against the Bucs, Bengals, Rams, and Eagles–but if you lose against the Lions or Bears? There has to be a firing made. The last time a Cowboys coach was fired at their bye was in 2010 when HC Wade Phillips started 1-7, and he was replaced by OC Jason Garett.

Given that there are rumors out there already linking Former New Orleans Saints HC Sean Payton, OC Kellen Moore, and DC Dan Quinn as replacements for McCarthy, you can’t tell me they wouldn’t consider moving on from him.

Overall, I hope the franchise doesn’t start slow out of the gate, and McCarthy is given a chance since last year was his first “true” year coaching the team. But if we’re hearing rumors that McCarthy may be on his way out during the bye if they struggle, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Nonetheless, Go Cowboys.

So what do you think Cowboy fans? Do you have the franchise finishing .500 or better going into the Week 9 Bye?