Although still unproven, much is expected, and needed, from the Dallas Cowboys new Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore. It is believed he will be an upgrade over the vanilla playcalling of his mentor Scott Linehan, but the proof is in the pudding as they say.
I don’t know about you, but I’m really hoping Kellen Moore can have a Kris Richard-like impact now that he is taking on more responsibility within the Cowboys offense after serving as the Quarterback Coach to Dak Prescott last season. I’m expecting Moore to be a breath of fresh air, much like Richard was as soon as he stepped foot in Dallas.
Although Kris Richard wasn’t the official Defensive Coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, he handled a lot of the job responsibilities that comes with the title. He worked hand-in-hand with Rod Marinelli week after week with the game plan, and also took over the playcalling on game days. As a result, we saw the Cowboys defense elevate their game in 2018, something we are all hoping Kellen Moore can do on the offensive side of the ball.
Here’s how the Dallas Cowboys defense ranked the year before and after Kris Richards arrival:
| NFL Rank | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Team | 13 | 6 |
| Passing | 11 | 13 |
| Rushing | 8 | 5 |
As you can see, the Dallas Cowboys defense pretty much improved in nearly every category. The only category they didn’t improve was their passing defense, which is odd considering Kris Richard’s background as a secondary coach. But, not if you consider the aggressive nature of his playcalling. It’s one of the reasons why the defense was so successful as a whole last year.
The hope is, Kellen Moore can have the same kind of coaching impact now that he’s taking on more responsibility. We all know Quarterback Dak Prescott and the rest of the offense can stand to take their game to the next level. Overall, they ranked in the bottom third of the league as an offense last season.
| NFL Rank | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Team | 22 |
| Passing | 23 |
| Rushing | 10 |
Surprisingly, with a running back as talented as Ezekiel Elliott, the Dallas Cowboys still only managed to sneak in to the top 10 in the NFL last season. The running game is the backbone of the Cowboys entire game plan, but an improved passing game influenced by Kellen Moore should improve all of the offensive rankings for Dallas this season.
It is believed that Moore will be much more creative with his playcalling. The system will remain the same, but the play design and execution will hopefully improve due to the pre-snap motion and misdirection the new OC plans to incorporate this year. That’s the hope at least.
So forget about his baby face, his less than mediocre professional career, or his lack of experience as a playcaller at either the NFL or collegiate level, and try to focus on the positive change he brings to the Cowboys. He has a real shot at having just as much of a positive impact as Kris Richard did last year. It’s a move that is probably long overdue.
