He will cast a big shadow. | Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Improvement, or lack of it, on defense will directly affect the heat on the head coach.

Mike McCarthy’s debut season with the Dallas Cowboys was bitterly disappointing. Of course the multiple injuries, particularly to offensive starters, was major, but second to that was the frequently putrid performance of the defense. It led to the decision to not keep Mike Nolan. He may have been a bit of a scapegoat, but there is little...

Continue Reading Dan Quinn is the key to Mike McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys