Cowboys face high-stakes scenario following Kellen Moore's departure
The Dallas Cowboys are moving on from an offensive coordinator that already had a job lined up for him. As anyone would be able to conclude following his almost-immediate hire, Kellen Moore already had tickets to Los Angeles in his wallet when notifications hit our phones with the news that he was out of Dallas. […]
The Dallas Cowboys are moving on from an offensive coordinator that already had a job lined up for him.
As anyone would be able to conclude following his almost-immediate hire, Kellen Moore already had tickets to Los Angeles in his wallet when notifications hit our phones with the news that he was out of Dallas.
Although having a conversation about how he'll do in Los Angeles is certainly an intriguing one worth having, we'll save it for later as we turn to the same man the Cowboys are turning to in order to take the next step.
Mike McCarthy.
He'll call the plays for the Cowboys moving forward which means a lot of things. Let's break it down.
Successful play-caller at the wheel
Listen, you don't produce as many high-scoring, efficient offenses in this league by being a poor play-caller. And yes, McCarthy did have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback running the show but even considering that, I'm not about to tell you that he can't do the job.
From 2010 to 2014 (before temporarily giving up play-calling for the majority of 2015), the Packers' passing offense was second to none in the NFL per EPA/play. The website used to retrieve these numbers, rbsdm.com, doesn't have data before 2010.
The trouble started in his last few years in the league as McCarthy's offense went stale and ultimately the coach was fire amid intense QB drama between him and Aaron Rodgers.
Even then, the Packers' passing offense ranked ninth in the league per EPA/play from 2016-2018.
Gambling for how much, exactly?
But while McCarthy's track reccord is undoubtedly impressive, Kellen Moore is no stranger to being statistically succesful. Over the last four years, his offense has ranked eight in EPA/play.
The Cowboys are also second in yards and points in that span, only trailing the Kansas City Chiefs.
In other words, this is not a move based on getting better overall as an offense but rather about finding a way to win in the playoffs. Finding a way to win the tough ones.
Perhaps that will be achieved with a well-defined offensive identity. It's difficult to describe what Moore's offensive scheme was about because he did a little bit of everything.
McCarthy will likely make the Cowboys offense a unit with an identity, whether it's a modernized version of his West Coast offense or something completely different.
It might just work. But the Cowboys gambled away an offensive coordinator that's proven to be succesful in the regular seasonn. Will it pay off next January? Stay tuned.
Cowboys 2023: All or nothing
Mike McCarthy taking over play-calling means one thing. He'll be calling plays to score points and save his job. That's the way of the NFL.
As such, if the team falls short next season, expect Jerry Jones' tone to change when he's asked about Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys will be in line for a "start anew" scenario in 2024 that could include or not include Dak Prescott. That will be the team's call to make when the moment comes.
The pressure around this team is already felt in the air. Too much is at stake. Will it translate into success? Or will 2024 bring to the table a very different landscape?
Featured image via Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
