Kellen Moore was getting praise for how well the Cowboys’ offense was rolling last season, sitting atop nearly every offensive category. I get the vibe that either Cowboys fans like him or they don’t.
Dallas offense struggles down the stretch, but Moore still produced a top-5 offense every year he has been in the league and is one of the best young minds in the game.
Going into next season, how much pressure is really on him to make a difference?
There are many things where Moore can become more constant throughout the game. For one, the Cowboys were around league average in explosive play rate last season. In a passing league filled with explosive plays, the Cowboys have to be better in that aspect of the game, and it is not like they didn’t have the personnel to do it.
The Cowboys have been among the worst in the league in scoring touchdowns on opening drives since the 2020 season. We know Dak Prescott missed the majority of that 2020 season. But the point still stands, the Cowboys should have more than four touchdowns on opening drives.
With some losses on the offense, Moore may have to get even more creative to get these big plays in order. It could be using Tony Pollard on the field at the same time as Ezekiel Elliott, maybe even having a drive where they line CeeDee Lamb up like a DeeBo Samuel and let him try to create a big play.
Moore will probably end up somewhere else within the next couple of years. Next season may tell us a lot about how well he can figure things out, the Cowboys are still plenty talented on offense, but the offense may not rank nearly as high as last season. I don’t think they will be around the top five again, but don’t expect a huge drop-off either.