CFZ The Rubber Meets The Road - Dak with McCarthy as OC

[CWR]

I'm a broken record on this: The offense last year wasn't that good. The Cowboys lead the NFL in takeaways for two straight years. The defense was setting them up constantly, if not outright scoring themselves. On a per drive basis, Dallas was 19th in plays, 18th in yards and 27th in time of possession. Dallas was 15th in yards per play overall.

That was a mediocre offense being made look better than it was with defensive takeaways and frequently great field position. Left to their own devices, they often times struggled to maintain drives or put points on the board.

.....

Edit: In case you care, the opposite was true of the defense. The constant offensive turnovers made them look worse than they were (which again is part of the reason Kellen is gone). Cowboys gave up 7th least plays, 6th least yards, 4th least points and got the most turnovers per drive on defense.

This is a great post and I can't believe some of the responses you've gotten. While you may not have a take on why the offense struggled it still demonstrates context. I dont see bias in there either, but as always some will get huffy.

 

[CWR]

I hated all those int’ s Moore called for last year. They made Daky look bad.

Especially the one in the playoffs against SF where he hit the defender right in the chest.

What a terrible play call!

Yards of separation was a problem period.

 

[morasp]

Let's face it, other than Lamb and Pollard we didn't have the offensive weapons. Against lesser teams it wasn't as noticeable but in the playoffs is got magnified, especially after Pollard got hurt. Cooks will help, Schoonmaker will help, Vaughn will help, Luepke will help, and if Gallup returns to form that will help. I also think the run game will be better with the better blocking which will feed the play action. When defenses have to adjust to stop the run the passing game will open up.

 

[shabazz]

As soon as the playoff starts the Magnum turns into just another broken rubber

 

[noshame]

The Mike and Dak show coming to a theater near you.
120 day countdown

 

[doomsday9084]

Uhhh, very simple explanation: the Offense had NO WEAPONS and the Oline was injured all season long. Add in the horrible passing schemes and having one of the worst separation WR groups, well, it should be quite obvious why the Offense struggled last year.

I didn't offer any explanation, I just pointed out that the offense wasn't that good last year. At least, I think that Moore is getting vastly overrated by just looking at points scored when a buttload of them were off of turnovers.

If we are going to talk specifics, I would say that WR2, WR3 and RB1 were big issues. I would love to get a stat on how many yards per play Dallas averaged with Zeke on the field versus Pollard. I suspect its a big difference.

 

[America's Cowboy]

I didn't offer any explanation, I just pointed out that the offense wasn't that good last year. At least, I think that Moore is getting vastly overrated by just looking at points scored when a buttload of them were off of turnovers.

If we are going to talk specifics, I would say that WR2, WR3 and RB1 were big issues. I would love to get a stat on how many yards per play Dallas averaged with Zeke on the field versus Pollard. I suspect its a big difference.

Understood. Totally agree. 100% spot on.

 

[phildadon86]

You talk about MM having a ball control offense. I just don't think Dak can run that type of offense because of his inconsistency and short game accuracy.

Posts like this prove that some just have an agenda.

The year Dak won ROY he ran that offense. Lol. My lord some of you will just make things up to prove a point.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Was that a playoff game or regular season last year?

Regular.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

There are literally more than a handful of games over Moore's tenure. Without looking anything up I remember the Bills and the Bears a few years ago where we gashed them with the run and took an early lead only to abandon it and lose down the stretch.

Anyone who says it didn't happen really is either not remembering or just doesn't want to remember. That or blame the running game, wrongly IMO, for the demise.

That's why MM was frustrated. Run the damn ball as he said. As experienced coaches say shorten the game.

Like I said, we had to live through Moore growing pains and he was theoretical...if it works on paper then it works in a game. He didn't get it

 

[ESisback]

There was a game last year—our RBs were ripping of 5+ ypc. We get in the RZ, run empty sets, and settle for FGs! Nuts!

 

[big dog cowboy]

Let's face it, other than Lamb and Pollard we didn't have the offensive weapons. Against lesser teams it wasn't as noticeable but in the playoffs is got magnified, especially after Pollard got hurt. Cooks will help, Schoonmaker will help, Vaughn will help, Luepke will help, and if Gallup returns to form that will help. I also think the run game will be better with the better blocking which will feed the play action. When defenses have to adjust to stop the run the passing game will open up.

This couldn't be more on target.

 

[Kwyn]

We talk about lots of different things on this board regarding what will make or break our 2023 season, but in my opinion the biggest single factor (besides possibly injuries—which are beyond anyone’s control) is how will Dak play with MM as OC. In my opinion that is THE single biggest factor on whether we will reach the SB or not.

KM had moments of brilliance, but he also had what many would call moments of greedy stupidity. I have no doubt that there will be elements of the game plan which may lack the imagination or KM but overall, I think slow and steady could possibly win this race.

Dak may or may not put up gaudy numbers this year but the only statistic I am concerned with is WINS. How many times did we see a KM led team give up on the run when we were gashing a team with the run? How many times did we see us have a bomb on 3rd and 1 killing a productive drive? How many times did we see unimaginative running plays? How many times did we see KM run a slow footed Zeke into the teeth of the defense instead of Pollard off tackle for 10? How many times did the offense have a short 3 and out and get a tired defense back on the field?

There may be areas that the Cowboys regress a little bit under MM, but I think overall you will see the team play more for wins and less for stats. We might not score 40 as many times, and yet win more games.

In my opinion I think MM will sit Dak down early and attempt to dial back the gunslinging and rely more on the defense and the running game. I think the draft hints at that too. There is an emphasis on winning at the line of scrimmage and stopping the run on defense.


The results may be less flashy, and less sexy but in the end result in more wins.


If so, I applaud getting back to hard nosed football and winning games. Less flash more substance. That’s what I think you are going to see under MM as OC.

Honestly, McCarthy’s coaching legacy and experience running an offense leads me to believe that …

We should wait and see

Yes, we had a good offense, but McCarthy has had his own good offenses in the past. As a head coach, as an OC and a QB coach.

He’s got skins on the wall that Kellen Moore still has yet to achieve.

I recognize and respect that McCarthy is putting it out there.

He’s not hiding behind the “fire this coordinator or tha coordinator, as long as it’s not me” mentality that lots of HCs do.

Like it or not, this is what we will see in the 2023-2024 season.

Buckle up and hold him accountable.

I think he recognizes that is is stepping up.

 

[817Gill]

This is a great post and I can't believe some of the responses you've gotten. While you may not have a take on why the offense struggled it still demonstrates context. I dont see bias in there either, but as always some will get huffy.

It’s getting worse and worse. Usually the rude posts would only be on threads that were extremely opinionated or lacked data/reasoning.

Now people do it on thoughtful and logical posts as well. Pretty messed up and takes away from otherwise well-meaning threads smh.

 

[Mark]

Dak also seems to work better, and more loosely, in a hurry-up style offense. I understand - and a agree with - an emphasis on the running game, but just hope that it doesn't become too plodding.

 

[TheSport78]

Dak is elite. He'll make McCarthy look like an offensive genius.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Regular.

So the one where we were ahead and they came back?

And your saying the run was working and he just stopped?

 

[GINeric]

Kellen Moore didn’t coach radio to throw the ball to the wrong team. He didn’t coach him to scramble a season away. He didn’t dial up the only throw to the 5 yard hitch guy.

Radio will get McCarthy fired in the next 2 seasons at the exact same time that he is no longer a cowboy.

Well Dak didn’t tell Kellen (doofus) Moore to call three straight run plays on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th and 1 or goal to go in games we're gashing the defense for 5, 6 yards a pop on the ground.

Dak didn't tell Kellen "Doofus" Moore to draw up and design weak *** plays that would be basic and generic in Junior College. How many times have our opponents said or tweeted how they knew what we would be running in certain situations???

Dak didn't tell Doofus Moore to design plays that had zero creativity, minimal motion and generic formations. Moore was trash as a quarterback and he was trash as a coordinator. That's why he is no longer in Dallas. His in-game situational awareness was trash as well. His football IQ is very low.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

So the one where we were ahead and they came back?

And your saying the run was working and he just stopped?

Run was working.....

And that's not the only game Moore went away from the run.

 

[Hadenough]

Posts like this prove that some just have an agenda.

The year Dak won ROY he ran that offense. Lol. My lord some of you will just make things up to prove a point.

I knew somebody would bring that up. 2016 when Dak was a rookie defenses were adjusting to Dak and that year they were playing back giving WRs the underneath routes and Beasley was open all the time. Zeke was running wild and Dak was looking like the answer. That year though we saw the Giants and Vikings adjust and we saw Dak stumble just a little.
2017 when defenses adjusted we saw Dak struggle. But surely you will make up some excuse like Dak doesn't have good enough WRs, oline, RBs, TEs. Dak always is given a million excuse by his following.