The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the best offenses in the NFL for the better part of the last half-decade thanks to Kellen Moore calling the plays.

There will be a change in that department in 2023 as Moore is now with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Cowboys' head coach Mike McCarthy will take over his responsibilities despite the team naming Brian Schottenheimer the new offensive coordinator. 

ESPN analyst Sam Acho thinks this particular transition is what will be the biggest issue for the Cowboys in 2023, not Dak Prescott's interception woes from a season ago.

I would go the Mike McCarthy transition to offensive coordinator, really offensive play caller," said Acho. "Kellen Moore is no longer there, and I get it, people think the grass is always greener, and I get that Mike McCarthy on paper looks good as a play caller when he was with Aaron Rodgers, but the game isn't played on paper.

There will be some transition that needs to happen. Whether it's in the language, the verbiage, how plays are called, and obviously getting Dak in favorable downs and distances. What keeps me awake at night more than Dak's interceptions from last year are the transition to a new play caller, a new voice in your ear every single snap. 

McCarthy will implement more of the West Coast style of offense in Dallas this upcoming season, something he used during most his entire tenure with the Green Bay Packers (2006-2018). It worked beautifully as the Packers had a plethora of top-five scoring offenses, and they finished 10th in 2010 when they won their last Super Bowl. 

Yes, there will be some differences, around 30-35 percent according to McCarthy, but that means there's a lot that will remain the same. 

"We're not throwing everything away," McCarthy said, via the team's website. "We have a lot to build off of. Last year was the most complementary football that we've played with our run-pass (balance). We're looking to take the next step. Being more balanced and more complementary football is what I'm really looking forward to."

It's been a while since McCarthy has had to be the man when it comes to running an offense. However, his history bodes well for what the Cowboys can be offensively, and the abundance of weapons they have will make it an even easier transition. 

McCarthy can't wait to get back in the saddle again. 

This is the most fun I've had since I've been in Dallas," said McCarthy back in March. "Just to be in the meeting room again with the coaches full time. Just to go 8 to 11:30 and break, and you're talking nothing but scheme. I haven't had that. So that part's different.

Dallas had the top-ranked offenses in 2019 and 2021. They also finished in the top six in scoring three times under Moore which was highlighted by leading the NFL at 31.2 points per game two years ago. 

Unfortunately, the Cowboys weren't able to get past the second round of the playoffs with Moore running the offense, despite having multiple top-tier units on the other side of the ball. So for the offense's sake, especially Prescott, a new era needed to take place. 

I think, number one, we all can use a new voice,” McCarthy said. "We all can use a sense of motivation and challenge and so forth. This is a new challenge for him — his words — he’s very excited about it. I just think, like anything, he’s had a chance to go from the different variations of the offense that was in place. He’s getting ready to take another turn as far as the variation of what we’re getting ready to do. We’re gonna build it off of what he has established.

The potential is there for the Cowboys to light up scoreboards once again, so we'll see if McCarthy still has what it takes. 

Dak Prescott gets major respect from a familiar face in Dallas

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Feature image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports