Mike McCarthy will forever be connected to the Green Bay Packers. He led the Packers to Super Bowl glory and one of their greatest regular-season performances. McCarthy helped develop Aaron Rodgers through his quarterback school, and they enjoyed two MVP seasons together.
McCarthy is no longer in Green Bay, but he has etched his name in the history books as one of the franchise's greatest head coaches. He is forever welcome in Green Bay and can take a stroll down Mike McCarthy Way.
While the Packers and McCarthy have taken different paths since their breakup in 2018, including a playoff showdown last year, they share one common goal in Week 18.
Beat the Washington Commanders.
Packers need some help from Mike McCarthy's Cowboys in Week 18
The Packers have already clinched a playoff berth but don't control their seeding. They currently hold the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC, which, in theory, gives them the toughest path.
Green Bay can catch the Commanders for the No. 6 seed, which could potentially create a more favorable first-round matchup, but that can only happen if McCarthy's Dallas Cowboys win in Week 18. Dallas hosts Washington in its season finale, and there's a lot at stake.
For the Packers, it could be the difference between visiting the No. 2-seeded Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round or a potentially more favorable matchup against the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Green Bay must run the gauntlet and win three straight road games to make the Super Bowl, regardless, but avoiding Philadelphia in the first round would help.
For McCarthy, the outcome of this game could determine his future with the Cowboys.
His team hasn't been the same since Jordan Love and the Packers handed them a 48-32 defeat in last year's wild-card round. It ended the Cowboys' 16-game home winning streak, and they have gone 2-6 at Jerry's World since.
However, despite starting 3-7 and losing star quarterback Dak Prescott for the season, McCarthy's team has shown tremendous fight, winning four of their past six games with Cooper Rush at quarterback. That includes a win over the Commanders, by the way.
Jerry Jones hasn't shut the door on bringing back McCarthy next season, so he has everything to play for on Sunday. Another win over the playoff-bound Commanders to finish 8-9 would bode well.
The Commanders are the better team, but with their playoff spot secured, one could argue McCarthy has more on the line. His team will continue to fight and will want to finish the season strong. The Packers need to take care of business against the Chicago Bears, but McCarthy can help them improve their playoff seeding and potentially save his job in the process.