Mike McCarthy 'confident' in direction of Cowboys: 'I know how to win'

Mike McCarthy spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since it was announced on Wednesday that he'd return as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, explaining that he still believes in where the team is headed despite another playoff disappointment.

"I am very confident in the direction, and I like where we are moving forward," McCarthy said. "I'm very confident where I am."

Team owner Jerry Jones met with McCarthy for "a little bit past three hours" this week, McCarthy said, following exit interviews with players and coaches. Together, Jones and McCarthy discussed "the whole course" of what needed to be fixed with the franchise after the shocking 48-32 home playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday during Super Wild Card Weekend.

"I think the disappointment is just not playing to your standard of play," McCarthy said. "You go through a whole regular season and you establish a standard of play and standard of productivity …

"One team played to their standard, and one didn't. Unfortunately, we didn't. I'm very disappointed in our performance and just not playing to our standard."

The Cowboys have finished the regular season with a 12-5 record each of the past three seasons under McCarthy, winning the division twice in that span and making the playoffs all three times. But McCarthy has led the Cowboys to victory only once in their four postseason games with him as coach, including two home losses at AT&T Stadium, in spite of the team entering this postseason with a 16-game home win streak.

"We have established a championship program," McCarthy said when asked what his message to fans is following this latest postseason loss, "it's just not the world championship yet."

McCarthy continued that fans "should be frustrated"