Cowboys: Mike McCarthy reveals key difference between him and Kellen Moore
The Cowboys HC was very clear about why they moved on from former Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore,
When the Dallas Cowboys "mutually parted ways" with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, it quickly became clear what the plan was.
Head coach Mike McCarthy would take over the offense. And since then, just about every suspicion around the situation has been confirmed. McCarthy's revamped coaching staff features multiple of "his guys" including Brian Schottenheimer (OC) and Scott Tolzien (QB coach).
It's his offense now. He'll call the plays and run the show as he did with the Green Bay Packers.
For the first time since the significant coaching changes occurred, the Cowboys HC spoke to the media on Wednesday.
"We're not looking to have wholesale changes," McCarthy told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "We're going to save the language."
McCarthy mentioned a similar number as Dak Prescott a few weeks ago of expecting a 20-35% change on offense. Keeping the language intact should be very helpful to the quarterback and other veteran players that have been working with for years.
Mike McCarthy reveals reason behind split with Kellen Moore
But where McCarthy caught everyone by surprise was by going into the details of his split with Moore. Actually, the Cowboys HC explained the exact reason why they moved on.
"Kellen wants to light the scoreboard up," said McCarthy. "But I want to run the damn ball so I can rest my defense."
The Cowboys' new offensive architect also indicated he has no interest in being the No. 1 offense in the league but rather be No. 1 in wins and get a Championship in return.
While that sounds like some inspiring cookie wisdom it's only fair to put it into question.
Data analysis has found that "defensive rest" is a myth. In a 2018 article for Football Outsiders, NFL analyst Ben Baldwin dove into the numbers and found several conclusions backed by the numbers including:
1. Running a lot of plays on a drive does not make your defense perform better on the subsequent drive.
2. Chewing up a lot of clock on a drive does not make your defense perform better on the subsequent drive.
Instead, what really helps out the defense is starting field position. As such, the only thing that should matter is… moving the chains!
You can read Baldwin’s full study on this topic here.
"This year, when Dallas passed on first down they had the 2nd highest down set conversion rate in the NFL (behind KC, naturally)," tweeted Mina Kimes (ESPN) on Wednesday. "When they ran, they dropped to 22nd."
On top of that, McCarthy's comments seem to be based on "taking care of the ball," as evident from the quotes above.
Yet the numbers suggest most of those turnovers that everyone still uses to diminish Dak Prescott's play were a result of third-and-long, must-pass situations in which the Cowboys QB was forced to bail out conservative play-calling.
So while McCarthy is right in prioritizing winning over stats, his words on Wednesday could spell trouble if they translate to conservative football.
"We'll build this thing around Dak Prescott," added McCarthy in the press conference.
Hopefully, that means the Cowboys won't shy away from early down passing in an effort to establish the run.
Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
