He’s not going to buy into the hoopla this year, with the Cowboys hosting the Packers in a wild-card playoff game on Sunday.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – When Mike McCarthy returned to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers as coach of the Dallas Cowboys last year, he conducted a conference call with Packers beat reporters. McCarthy won’t feed into the hype this year, with the Cowboys set to host the Packers in a wild-card playoff game on Sunday. “The drama of it, I’m sure you all will love. I will not participate this year,” McCarthy told reporters after a season-ending victory over Washington. “It’s playoff time. It doesn’t matter who we play, to be honest with you.”

The 60-year-old McCarthy moved into the top 20 on the all-time wins list this year in guiding the Cowboys to a 12-5 record. Like he did while in Green Bay, he creates a theme for every season. For the 2023 Cowboys, it’s “carpe omnia.” Seize everything. “Credit Mike for making that the theme of this season and it’s been something that we’ve pointed to at different parts of the year and, right now, it’s bigger than ever,” quarterback Dak Prescott said after torching the Commanders for four touchdown passes. “As we turn the page from this game (and) we walk in the facility, seize everything, from that workout, from the film study, putting this game behind us to watching the film and the next opponent, to every walk-through meeting conversation that we’re going to have. It means everything. Stay in the moment. Make sure you leave no stone unturned and make sure we’re getting ourselves ready to go out there and seize this first game, this first game next weekend, and from there we’ll continue.”