Mike McCarthy Says Cowboys’ Fake Punt vs. WFT Was ‘A Solid Play Call’

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

After the Dallas Cowboys lost to Washington 41-16 on Thanksgiving, Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy defended the Cowboys’ decision to call a fake punt from their own 24-yard line with over 12 minutes left to play.

“You won’t get anywhere if you’re thinking about negatives all the time,” he said after the game, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “Obviously, it was a solid play call. It’s a good play design.” 

The Cowboys entered the final frame of Thursday’s game within four points of Washington, but the fake punt call started a 21-point fourth quarter for Washington to bury the host Cowboys.

Dallas ran the play on 4th-and-10 with 12:23 remaining, giving the ball to wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. on a reverse. Wilson had appeared on no more than 21 percent of offensive snaps and 17 percent of special teams snaps entering Thursday. Wilson was taken down on the carry, setting up a Washington drive from the Cowboys’ 23-yard line. 

On the opening snap, rookie running back Antonio Gibson breezed to the end zone for his second of three touchdowns on the night, putting Washington up 27-16. 

Gibson, who also scored the game’s first touchdown to give Washington a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, capitalized as the clock wound down. He put the game away with a 37-yard run with 3:31 on the clock before Montez Sweat returned an interception to the end zone to finalize the defeat.