Latest NFL news puts additional pressure on Dallas Cowboys after controversially hiring Brian Schottenheimer as head coach
It doesn't matter what happens in the future, the Dallas Cowboys and Kellen Moore will always be related. After all, between 2015 and 2022, Moore played quarterback and coached them before ultimately landing the offensive coordinator job. What's more, even when Mike McCarthy replaced Jason Garrett, Moore stayed on staff as the play caller. For a long […]
It doesn't matter what happens in the future, the Dallas Cowboys and Kellen Moore will always be related.
After all, between 2015 and 2022, Moore played quarterback and coached them before ultimately landing the offensive coordinator job. What's more, even when Mike McCarthy replaced Jason Garrett, Moore stayed on staff as the play caller.
For a long time, Moore had the utmost respect of Jerry Jones and Co. Now, Moore is becoming the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, and it's easy to see why the news raises the pressure the Cowboys face after making a controversial hire at head coach.
When the Cowboys held a virtual interview with Moore during their recent head coaching search, he was considered one of the top and only candidates. Surprisingly, that meeting went short, lasting well under the three hours allowed per NFL rules.
While we still don't know what caused the parties to be in a rush to end the call that day, it became clear Moore wasn't about to be named head coach of the Cowboys. Multiple insiders have suggested since then the Cowboys didn't love Moore's ability (or lack thereof, in their view) to command a locker room.
One week later, Brian Schottenheimer was signed to the job.
His hire was controversial, specially since the front office didn't lead a thorough search for the job (even though Jerry later used "thorough" twice to describe it at Schottenheimer's introductory press conference) and because Schottenheimer didn't receive interest from other NFL teams.
The fact the Cowboys interviewed four candidates only before making a decision no one saw coming has the NFL world wondering how things will pan out with Schotty, even though the team's search doesn't say anything about the coach himself.
But for a team that saw Dan Quinn reach the NFC Championship Game in his first year out of the Cowboys (with many former Cowboys players on his team) and Kellen Moore win a Super Bowl in his second year out of Dallas as offensive coordinator, it would be a tough pill to swallow if the Saints enjoy success with Moore.
It would be another example of Dallas being the problem, not the players and coaches who leave.
Such pressure could easily be alleviated with Schottenheimer having success in Dallas. He certainly is better positioned to do so if you compare the Cowboys roster to the Saints'. He'll have Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and a young, promising offensive line.
He'll need help from the front office though as it can't keep approaching team building as conservatively as it has for years and expect something different.
What is clear though is, should Moore be successful as head coach, he would be yet another addition to the Cowboys' list of "the one(s) who got away."
They let Sean Payton walk. Dan Quinn is making a case for himself by turning around the dumpster fire that was the Washington Commanders. Will Moore be remembered along the same lines? Only time will tell.
