‘Good to go,' Cowboys McCarthy says he's sore but expects everything to be normal Sunday vs Eagles

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy says he's "good to go" for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

McCarthy, 60, said he was excited to be back at work Friday after missing the last two days following a surprise surgery for an acute appendicitis.

“Anybody that knows me or has ever worked for me, I’m the last guy that wants to take any attention away from the players,” McCarthy said during his usual Friday conference call with reporters after missing the in-person sessions Wednesday and Thursday.

McCarthy stayed in the hospital overnight Wednesday, then was part of virtual meetings with players and coaches Thursday.

“This is a player’s game. I’ve built my program around that premise,” McCarthy said. “Everything that touches the locker room is the most important. So that’s why it is imperative for me to get back in here and get going and just make sure that the normalcy was totally back in place.”

McCarthy said he felt like he had a stomach virus earlier in the week and had a pretty rough time on Monday and Tuesday nights. On Wednesday morning, feeling worse, McCarthy said he thought it'd be a good idea to see a doctor just to see what was going on. The diagnosis required immediate surgery and McCarthy was put under the knife that afternoon.

During his call Friday, McCarthy said he's feeling a little sore, as expected, but that he'll be fine and anticipates everything being normal on Sunday night. He said he doesn't require any more checkups with doctors and is "good to go" for Sunday's game.

McCarthy is in his fourth season as coach of the Cowboys, but the first as the play-caller after offensive coordinator Kellen Moore didn't return. Brian Schottenheimer carries that title now along with plenty of experience as a play-caller, but there was never a sense he would have to step into that role for the biggest game of the season.

“I had no stress, and I was at peace with the direction and the correction, the installation of everything that went in Wednesday and Thursday,” McCarthy said. “I do give the players a ton of credit, and the coaches, for just keeping it rolling.”

McCarthy admitted he was extremely frustrated when he learned he needed surgery and would miss prep time for the game, but realizes he's seen worse. After thinking it was a stomach virus and letting it go for a couple of days, McCarthy encouraged people to get things checked out sooner rather than later. He added he was thankful for the love, support and immediate medical care that got him back to work as quickly as possible.

The Cowboys play the Eagles on Sunday Night Football on NBC 5. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. CT. The winner Sunday will hold the advantage in the NFC East with only four games remaining.