During weeks like this one that are hectic for every reason under the sun besides Cowboys football, I feel fortunate to know people that make it their business to keep me up to speed on the things that might escape my attention.
And this week, one of the clips that found its way into my DMs was from “The Final Word,” a popular YouTube show hosted by Cowboys content creator Boss Cowboy Sports along with other hosts.
They've had several amazing guests over the past couple of weeks.
And when Iisha Morrison, a host of the Dallas Cowboys produced show “Girls Talk, ‘Boys Talk” appeared as a guest, the topic of Kellen Moore came up during their conversation.
As Morrison described how fast the offense has looked as they were learning Mike McCarthy's new system, the panelists began to laugh.
Always the professional, Morrison tried not to laugh at Boss's comedic delivery. But the emojis in the live chat revealed what Boss's audience of Dallas Cowboys fans thought about the crew's evaluation of Kellen Moore.
Watch the clip below for full context.
Game film analyst DMV Fanatic summed it up when he said, “Of course it looks fast. They ain't running four curl routes no more.”
THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF AN ONGOING TREND
Of course, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Even when Kellen Moore was still on the Dallas Cowboys' coaching staff, he was the subject of a lot of criticism.
The term “boy wonder” went from being a compliment bestowed on the young coordinator to being an ironic jab commonly used when discussing what were obvious play-calling missteps to many fans.
A Twitter search reveals that the top tweets about Kellen Moore are mostly jokes and disapproving comments instead of headlines or even genuine discussion.
But what all the banter reveals is the answer to a question that was originally asked months ago:
“What does Mike McCarthy mean by a 20% – 30% change in the offense?”
Fans never received a specific answer, but when Kellen Moore “moved on,” for many fans, that was all the answer they needed.
Catching up on @BossCowboySport streams funniest part when @Iishamorrison talk about how fast the ball was coming out .How Dak was going thru his progressions so much quicker.@DMVFanatic1 reaction had me in tears because WE ALL KNOW why is that I found Kellen's Playbook 😂🤣💀 pic.twitter.com/39Smls9JnM
— MartinTalkCowboys (@DAK_4_MVP) June 24, 2023
A FEW NUMBERS TO THINK ABOUT
Counting the playoffs, over the past two seasons, the Cowboys have experienced 12 losses. Seven of those losses, including both playoff losses, were by seven points or less.
In other words, the trajectories of the last two seasons could have been potentially altered by just a few possessions – a handful of snaps.
So when Mike McCarthy says “20% – 30%,” most fans who have been paying attention nod their heads and think, “Yeah. That sounds about right.”
The fans that are paying attention do remember that 12-5 is a damn good record in the NFL.
They know that making it in to the playoffs is something many teams don't do and should be celebrated. They know that having one of the most productive offenses in the league is something to be proud of.
But they also know that even with all that, somehow the Dallas Cowboys did not meet expectations.
And when they think about how that could possibly be the case, they think about receivers looking confused, practically running into each other on their routes.
They think about the game when Kellen Moore just about admitted that he simply forgot to get Michael Gallup involved.
They think about the lack of creativity that allowed the 49ers to interrupt passes as if they knew exactly where they were going and when.
They think about all of those curl routes.
Will Kellen Moore's departure fix everything? No. But there is reason to believe that it can fix a handful of plays – enough to make the difference.
