FRISCO, Texas -- Nothing was normal in Mike McCarthy's first season as coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Hired in January 2019, McCarthy was unable to have an in-person hello until the start of training camp because of the coronavirus pandemic. He was limited to Webex calls as he and his new coaching staff installed a new defense, special teams plans and slight variations to the offense.
The result was a disastrous 6-10 season that saw the Cowboys forced to play without quarterback Dak Prescott, offensive linemen Tyron Smith and La'el Collins, and many others because of injuries suffered in 2020.