ARLINGTON — Mike McCarthy gave a good account of himself during the Cowboys’ final game, even with the club’s natural third-string quarterback running the show. The Cowboys led playoff-bound Washington most of the day including with six seconds to go before falling 23-19 to drop their record to 7-10.

Mike McCarthy says he absolutely wants to return as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has dropped multiple hints that McCarthy would be back, but the team owner was far from definitive about McCarthy’s future after a 23-19 loss to Washington finished a 7-10 season.

The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys has finished his five-year contract. And if Sunday’s game against the Washington Whatevers is indeed Mike McCarthy’s final act with the team, he was basically Jason Garrett 2.0.