Opinion: MM made decision to move from Moore

[Verdict]

IMO it was clear at least two years ago that the Cowboys needed a new OC and QB coach. Prescott needed the changes. And I obviously believe that MM knew that changes needed to be made back then. Trouble is/was Moore was one of those absolute favs of Jerry Jones and son Steve much like Jason Garrett was. So, it took a long time for MM to get it done. Now that it is finally accomplished let’s hope MM can finally lead the Cowboys to some real success...big time success.

Great minds think alike. MM handled this as well as he could have and still got what he wanted.

 

[glimmerman]

I think MM was fully behind this move. The fact that the Cowboys ownership made the move indicates that MM has quite a bit of credibility with the ownership. The organization would have done it their way, in spite of that advice many years ago (and maybe not so many years ago).

Moore had his chances. JJ wanted to be a run first team but when it got abandoned in most games we lost this year I think he opened his ears a little more when MM made his pitch.

 

[Verdict]

I suspect Moore wanted out and quietly negotiated his way to LA. If McCarthy wanted him gone Moore would have been fired, not let out of his contract.

Not necessarily. I’m not saying your theory is not plausible, but there are multiple possible scenarios that are not really hard to fathom.

 

[glimmerman]

The Cowboys will NEVER have success with Dak Prescott. He will always find a way to fail the team.

I have accepted that and moved on to hoping that he is so horrible going forward that the Joneses cannot justify putting him on the field.

They have had enough success to get to playoffs. Then talent evens up and coaching needs to step up. If Dak was changing run plays to pass then he better bring it in and listen to coaching. But he made some bad passes this year he shouldn’t have made. He said he would change that this year. He needs to use his legs more like 2016. The last pick in the 49ers game in the red zone should have been a QB keeper. Wasn’t even a 3rd down and only needed a few yards. Those are plays that can cost you a close game.

 

[glimmerman]

One of the things I’m optimistic about for next season is what I’m seeing as a renewed focus on the running game. I think the changing of coordinator and line coaches show that they realize that they had lost their way in this area.

I also hope to see the return of the fullback position, which McCarthy used in Green Bay with Kuhn and Ripkowski.

I agree.. with the signing of coaches that are power run style. And with us beefing up O-Line and assuming we draft a RB or bring some in then we will be run balanced at least. I don’t want to see Dak throwing 40 passes a game. Even if he is playing well.

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

Moore was calling plays in college to a mls the QB and was running the practice squad for Linehan in Detroit and Linehan brought him here for the same purpose of running the offense for the teams in practice.

Unlike Garrett’s “lack of experience”, what Moore showed for as little experience with a “system QB” who sucked at going through his reads was proof of his potential to be great, especially with a QB of the caliber of Herbert.

Only Dakazoids think so low of Moore.

Well, A Super Bowl winning coach though so low of Moore that he wanted him gone, so there's that

 

[Verdict]

Moore had his chances. JJ wanted to be a run first team but when it got abandoned in most games we lost this year I think he opened his ears a little more when MM made his pitch.

I totally agree.

 

[Verdict]

Moore had his chances. JJ wanted to be a run first team but when it got abandoned in most games we lost this year I think he opened his ears a little more when MM made his pitch.

Can you picture MM, on a weekly basis, after a loss saying:

1. If I was calling the plays, I would have run the ball here because of (list reason).

2. It would have really helped our defense if we had run the ball here.

3. It would have really helped us ice the game if we had run the ball here instead of throwing the incompletion.

4. I think it was a real tactical mistake here to throw the home run ball in a tight game on our end of the field when it was 3rd and 1.

5. Our passing game looks pretty good, but everything about our running game leaves a lot to be desired.

6. We are too predictable running the ball. Do you see the defenders stacking the box here?

7. Our offensive linemen are “too big, strong and dominant” to not have more success in the running game.

8. I will honor your request for me to be hands off in calling plays because you are the boss. But I think it’s only fair for you to know I would have approached these scenarios a little bit differently.

Masterful job of walking the land mines by MM. It’s required when you work for JJ.

MM may not be the best coach in the NFL, but he might be the best (well established) coach who can actually work for JJ and the boys.

 

[Jake]

Listening to SJ he mentioned MM brought up moving on from Moore. At least it sounded that way.

MM is a SB winning coach. He knows he dont have a rogers. I am seeing them going or attempting to go Cowboys 2016. Run first with a big O-Line and good RBs. That maybe different for MM but he brought in power running O-Line coach and again knows he don’t have rogers. Put more WR talent around Dak and go with the short high % passes and let them get YAC. He will have a good Defense maybe even great and a very good ST.

MM knows his job is on the line because Quinn will likely get his job unless he goes to SB. If I am MM and am saddled with Dak then this is what I do. Dak can do this but you can not ask him to throw tight window passes all day or throw 40 times a game to Noah Browns. Keep it simple and lean on a run game. They do have a Dak that’s improved from 2016. He can make the throws. Just dont abandon the run if you get down by 2 points.

I agree MM wanted to move on and agree with your reasoning. If I'm under pressure to have more success then I'd want more control, too.

But I don't believe he has that decision-making authority. He had to convince the Joneses. No doubt they're expecting him to deliver, or else.

 

[foofighters]

And Dak wasn’t afraid to use his legs.

I don't know where this comes from but who is limiting Dak running? Is this Dak not trusting his legs? Was he told not to run? When he runs and that even means just rolling out...that offense comes to life. It's the one thing that can kill a defense and we just don't really do it. We don't need to do it more than 3 times a game. It's just the threat of Dak taking off.

 

[birdwells1]

100%......Dak had his best year when we led the league in rushing.

So did Romo in 2014

 

[birdwells1]

Mike never wanted Kellen but it was a condition of his employment.

 

[removed_20241105]

I don’t believe this was driven by McCarthy. I believe Jerry soured on KM and Mike was happy to agree with him and row in the Jones’ direction.

I think most of what Stephen has to say is agenda based and solely about keeping fans spending, and protecting his dads declining abilities.

 

[charron]

Just shows the dysfunction of this organization that it took the offensive minded head coach 3 years to gain control of his offensive staff.

 

[glimmerman]

The reality is Dak is a TO machine.

He was on pace in 2020 before the injuries to be a league leader in TOs, with 7 TOs in 5 games.

Again, this idea Dak protects the ball is a myth. The guy runs the system given to him and the more responsibility given to him, the more he demonstrates his limitations. His decision-making process goes to hell.

It was Linehan’s scheming that helped him protect the ball as well.

In 2017, when Dak started off upto when Linehan took the passing reigns from him to a large degree after the Denver game, he threw I think 2 pick 6s at that point. He had 4 INTs and 1 fumble in his first five games, then Linehan went really run heavy with Zeke. Then Zeke was suspended and against Atlanta, Dak added 2 more fumbles to his stat count and then threw 3 INTs against the Eagles. From there I stopped tracking, but he played like crap.

Dak is now throwing pick 6s at an alarming rate the “more aggressive” they tell him to be.

So 2016 was basically where the “legend” was born and afterwards the scherade continued for who knows how. But if you break down the actual play, Dak’s a paper tiger.

Was that the game JG wouldn’t get him help at LT and he got killed. Then again the next week against egirls.

 

[Kingofholland]

Listening to SJ he mentioned MM brought up moving on from Moore. At least it sounded that way.

MM is a SB winning coach. He knows he dont have a rogers. I am seeing them going or attempting to go Cowboys 2016. Run first with a big O-Line and good RBs. That maybe different for MM but he brought in power running O-Line coach and again knows he don’t have rogers. Put more WR talent around Dak and go with the short high % passes and let them get YAC. He will have a good Defense maybe even great and a very good ST.

MM knows his job is on the line because Quinn will likely get his job unless he goes to SB. If I am MM and am saddled with Dak then this is what I do. Dak can do this but you can not ask him to throw tight window passes all day or throw 40 times a game to Noah Browns. Keep it simple and lean on a run game. They do have a Dak that’s improved from 2016. He can make the throws. Just dont abandon the run if you get down by 2 points.

Yeah I definitely think Moore not being here had McCarthy written all over it. The Jones liked Moore a lot, so its good they listened and ultimately moved.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Listening to SJ he mentioned MM brought up moving on from Moore. At least it sounded that way.

I don't remember the precise quote, but someone in management said something like "McCarthy made the case to make him the play caller". Basically that he pushed Moore out.

Likely it was more a step for self-preservation than a desire for himself. It wasn't the defense that failed in the playoffs, it was the offense. Some head was gonna roll. Unfortunately, we're already locked into Dak. So a change was either McCarthy or Moore.

Management:
You're the HC and we failed in the playoffs, and we failed in what is supposed to be your area of expertise, the offense.

The natural counter from McCarthy would be:
I wasn't the one calling the plays. I can coach and direct as much as I want, but Moore just has a different philosophy than mine, and while I agreed with keeping Moore as OC, you made it a condition of taking the job. If I had picked an OC myself, it obviously would have been someone closer to my philosophy.

So Moore is out, and even before we get a new OC, the decision is announced that McCarthy will be the play caller going forward. If it were *just* dissatisfaction with Moore that prompted his firing, it's more natural to leave the play caller decision to *after* you find a new OC.

I think McCarthy threw Moore to the wolves to keep his tenure alive. Leaves McCarthy battling with Dak to survive the next failure, but that largely comes down to whether management leaves themselves the option of dumping Dak if he isn't cutting it.

 

[Chuck 54]

Jane Slater reported from the combine that Mike looks really energized and excited to be running the offense. She said that Mike was very open about the exciting work he and the coordinator and line coach have already been doing to shore up both the shoddy run blocking schemes and the pass pro. Mike wants a tighter pocket for the passing game and better run blocking schemes by formation.

Sounds like he did not hold Moore in the genius category that Jerry did.

 

[DuncanIso]

Moore had his chances. JJ wanted to be a run first team but when it got abandoned in most games we lost this year I think he opened his ears a little more when MM made his pitch.

To be fair, most of the games we lost were because of Dak.

 

[glimmerman]

Moore was shoved down MM's throat, very much like Garrett was shoved onto Wade. I never seen a new head coach be forced to take on previous regime coaches. that's jerry for you. and did we expect this to work out any other way? Moore became OC, with only one year of coaching experience ANYWHERE. show me one NFL coach, one OC or DC having gone that route in their career. and we expected him to take the league by a storm!!! he was green. he was going to make mistakes. he went from one coach to another and had the wrong mentors to begin with. Moore's scheme depends on having high level of talent and perfect execution, very much a Garrett philosophy.

Everyone in the NFL knew our system but most teams do know other teams system. But teams knew our plays before we snapped the ball. One year he was using the same hand signals he used in college. Last season was the same curls or come back routes. We won games by executing and talent. Our player beating their player. I know it happens a lot in other games but there was also the predictable situational play calling. Let’s see what changes.