Cowboys: Mike McCarthy's offense isn't working despite latest win
In Week 5, the San Francisco 49ers dismantled the Dallas Cowboys. They quickly responded with a big win in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. It was a game where quarterback Dak Prescott looked phenomenal, and it's something he has come to do consistently following a loss. It was a […]
In Week 5, the San Francisco 49ers dismantled the Dallas Cowboys. They quickly responded with a big win in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football.
It was a game where quarterback Dak Prescott looked phenomenal, and it's something he has come to do consistently following a loss.
It was a game where the Cowboys were pitted against an all too familiar foe, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who coached the same position in Dallas between 2019 and 2022.
It was important for head coach Mike McCarthy to have a good game as he is now the primary play caller in Dallas following the controversial divorce with Moore.
He needed to prove to fans and ownership, that the Joneses made the right call in giving him play-calling duties. He needed to prove why his offense was better for Dak Prescott.
And boy did he fail.
Mike McCarthy installed a new offense this offseason, he calls it the "Texas Coast" offense. It is an offense that is based on the West Coast offense and has some wrinkles sprinkled in.
Before we get into my observations: If you don't know the basics of a West Coast offense, let me explain.
The passing game is based on short passes that come out quickly and accurately. Quick passes tend to mean that a QB gets to the back of his drop, sees the wide receiver open, and is able to deliver an accurate ball.
This was not the case Monday night. On multiple occasions, Dak Prescott was carrying the Cowboys offense. He was escaping pressure, extending the play, and finding open targets downfield. Even CeeDee Lamb praised Prescott's ability to allow them to work their scramble drill.
Below are a few examples of how Prescott using his legs, often in third down, kept the offense alive when things weren't going their way.
It was nice to see Dak Prescott use his legs again, but the fact of the matter is that this offense is not working. And it's not going unnoticed by Cowboys media.
For reference, the Cowboys have 127 bunch alignment calls this season, which is 25th in the league, per Pro Football Focus. Last year, at the same point in the season, they had 123, which was 14th. The number was less, but the league is adjusting, while the Cowboys are moving backward.
This year, the Cowboys sit at 53.9% motion/shift percentage, while last year they sat at 57.4%; which is 3% higher than the league average compared to 1% lower than the league average this year.
Simply put, while it's fine to enjoy the win, McCarthy isn't making life easy on his quarterback and the very unit he's spearheading. Will we see a change at play-caller mid-season?
Honestly, I doubt it, installing a new system is hard enough, much less doing it mid-season. I think this Cowboys offense is unfortunately tied to McCarthy for the season at least.
