Kellen Moore finally got some redemption for one of his worst moments ever as a Dallas Cowboys coach
Kellen Moore’s game-winning play call will bring back some painful memories for Cowboys fans.
I don’t imagine a lot of Dallas Cowboys fans tuned into Sunday’s clash between the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, but those who did might have had quite the flashback to one of the most painful playoff memories in recent Cowboys history.
That’s because near the end of the game, with the game on the line, the Saints offense ran a play similar to one that earned former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore plenty of criticism in a playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Moore, now the head coach of the Saints, got some redemption as this time, his plan worked, and the Saints won the game.
Moore called a QB draw in crunch time
Back in the 2021-2022 NFL Playoffs, Moore called a quarterback draw down six points and with only 14 seconds left on the clock. With no timeouts, the Cowboys ran out of time to spike the football. And just like that, that was the ballgame.
For months, Moore was criticized for the call as controversy ensued over the play. Did Dak Prescott run too far? Did Dallas even practice the situation? Did the official bumping into Prescott at the line of scrimmage cost the Cowboys precious time in such a pressing situation?
It feels like we’ll never agree on exactly what happened then. But on Sunday, a similar call worked out for the Saints. Moore called a QB run out of an empty formation with rookie Tyler Shough, who slid down and was illegally hit by a Panthers DB, drawing a personal foul flag and setting up the game-winning field goal.
The situation was quite different, as the Saints only needed a field goal to win it all, but at least Moore got some redemption out of it. I guess his idea back in 2022 wasn’t that far-fetched. What I will say, however, is that without a personal foul I’m not sure it would have worked out for New Orleans.
Now I hope we get a play call to redeem whatever happened the following year when Ezekiel Elliott inexplicably snapped the football to Prescott.
Kellen Moore is off to a good start as a head coach
All of this got me curious about how Kellen Moore is doing as the head coach of the Saints, so I reached out to A to Z Sports New Orleans’ Adam Holt for his insight. Here’s what he had to say:
“When it comes to Kellen Moore this season, the growth seems crystal clear. He looks notably more comfortable with the media as a head coach, compared to the start of the season, and it seems like players have a much stronger connection with him as well. The locker room celebrations after wins feel a bit smoother, and the vibes are really high for a team still projected to pick in the top ten of the 2026 NFL Draft. For plenty of teams and coaches, holding attention and effort as a struggling season pushes on can be a challenge, but the young head coach for the Saints seems to be managing that rather well.
“I’d also say that Moore is taking more risk as the campaign continues. He understands where the Saints are when it comes to the postseason this year, but he’s trying to give his team chances to make impactful plays with young guys involved that are expected to be in the fold for the future. Saints fans have appreciated that. Then, the work with Tyler Shough is another dynamic piece to this puzzle. The rookie quarterback is playing confident football, and a lot of NFL media are noticing. You’ve got to give Moore some credit for understanding what Shough excels at and helping him find ways to success throughout his starts so far. All in all, it’s been a respectable first season for the former Cowboys assistant, given the talent on the roster and expectations entering this year.”
Good for Kellen. I wish him nothing but the best.
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