Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to how he feels about former Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman’s words about the team’s wide receivers.
“They don’t carry any weight with me, because I watch all the tape,” McCarthy said during a Monday news conference. “I get to go to the meetings. I’m at practice. I’m part of the games. So I have a clear understanding of what and where.
“Troy’s statement in particular, I don’t agree with the word selection. There is definitely need for improvement in every position, not just one position that he commented on.”
GO DEEPER
Troy Aikman calls out Cowboys wide receivers in interview: ‘I think the routes are terrible’
McCarthy’s response comes after Aikman’s comments made last week during a weekly radio interview. The three-time Super Bowl winner shared his belief that the wide receivers are making life more difficult for passer Dak Prescott.
“I think the routes are terrible,” Aikman said last Thursday on The Ticket in Dallas. “I think they run terrible routes. And I’ve thought that beyond this year. I think CeeDee (Lamb) has got to improve in his route running. As a quarterback, if you’re not certain where guys are going to be consistently, it’s hard to play the position. That’s what I see.
“I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage. Sometimes they run, usually if they do, it’s because they’re anticipating they’re going to get the football on that play, but if they’re not, they don’t. And it all ties together. I’m not impressed with that part of it.”
GO DEEPER
NFL panic meter: How worried should Cowboys, Browns and other struggling teams be?
Aikman, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and ESPN “Monday Night Football” analyst, will see the Cowboys in person for their games in Week 11 (vs. Houston) and Week 14 (vs. Cincinnati).
Dallas is coming off its bye in Week 7, which followed a 47-9 loss at home to the Detroit Lions. The loss was the team’s fourth straight (including last postseason) in its own building. The slow start has put McCarthy under fire, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he is “not considering that” when asked about a potential coaching change after the loss to the Lions.
The Cowboys travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 8 and will enter that game with a 3-3 record, 1 1/2 games back in the NFC East.
Required reading
(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)