Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys offense put on a clinic against the New York Giants on Sunday and most of the credit belongs to new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. This comes a surprise to many fans given how critical they have been about his hiring. Despite the high praise he has received within the Dallas Cowboys organization, many fans were not impressed that Kellen Moore was named as Scott Linehan’s replacement this season and for good reasons. After all, Moore is the pupil of the recently fired Linehan, has NO experience in the role, and is tasked with coaching a young developing quarterback in Dak Prescott. The same Dak Prescott that once beat out Kellen Moore for the Cowboys backup quarterback position. On paper it does not seem like a good hire. However, after watching the Dallas Cowboys offense dismantle the New York Giants Sunday afternoon, it is clear that the Dallas Cowboys seem to know what they are doing.
Many fans did not expect the Dallas Cowboys offense to look much different with Linehan’s pupil at the helm but it looked vastly different in the season opener. That truly should not have come as a surprise though. Kellen Moore had promised that he would introduce more pre-snap motion in his offense and there was plenty of pre-snap motion against the Giants. Kellen Moore told us that he was going to use play action and that is exactly what he did. Kellen Moore also advised that he would come out and pass more often on on first down and he did that: Nearly 50% of the time. It truly was a refreshing change for Dallas Cowboy fans to witness after years of predictability under Linehan and at the same time it was not all what the New York Giants expected too see. This is exactly what Dallas Cowboy fans were hoping for when the Cowboys moved on from Scott Linehan but is it too early to get excited about the Dallas Cowboys offense?
There are a few legitimate reasons to pump the breaks on the Kellen Moore hype train. First of all, it was the New York Giants. Yes, they are a division rival and yes, they are an NFL team but they are not expected to be a very good team this season. The New York Giants defense is not the scariest unit the Dallas Cowboys offense will face this year and In fact they could be the absolute worst unit on the entire schedule. Still the Cowboys were able to move the ball with ease and built such a huge lead that they were able to rest their starters in the fourth quarter. They were also able to dominate without unleashing #21. Ezekiel Elliott was limited to only 14 touches and 63 total yards in this game and yet the Cowboys were able to run away with the victory. So all things considered, it is still a very encouraging performance.
Another reason to hesitate on drinking the cool aid is the novelty factor. This is the first time anyone has seen the Kellen Moore offense. Give it a few more weeks where defensive coordinators can study game film, prepare, and make adjustments then the genius of Kellen Moore will truly be tested . In particular mark down Week 12 @ New England in your calendar. If Kellen Moore can keep Bill Belichick and the Patriots on their toes with his play calling then we (Cowboy fans) may have cause to get really excited.
A final consideration has to do with game flow and tempo. An offensive coordinator is truly at an advantage when they establish a lead and are able to dictate the pace of the game. Kellen Moore, like Scott Linehan before him, was able to step on the gas and put his foot on the Giants throat on route to a blowout victory. In a close game, or a game where the Cowboys are playing from behind,Kellen Moore’s creativity as a play caller will truly be put to the test. I am anxious to see how Dak Prescott, Kellen Moore and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys offense will respond in those situations.
Those questions aside, by far the most exciting thing about the Dallas Cowboys week one victory over the Giants was the quarterback play. Dak Prescott showed more poise an accuracy then he has ever shown to this point in his career. He threw for career highs in yards and touchdowns and spread the ball out efficiently. It was only one game and that is not a big enough sample size to draw any conclusions. But, at the same time one game has the power to reveal what exists in the realm of possibility. In the case of the Dallas Cowboys, there are numerous critics who claim that Dak Prescott is below average. That Dak Prescott is inaccurate. Dak Prescoot can’t read defenses, and Dak Prescott can’t throw the deep ball. What this one game has showed those critics is that Dak Prescott can do all of those things. Does he need talent around him and good coaching to reach his full potential? The answer is yes, but that is and has always been the case for every quarterback that has ever played the game. Where would Tom Brady be without Bill Belichick? What about Troy Aikman without the other triplets and the Cowboys famed offensive line of the 90’s? Great players simply need help to succeed in the ultimate team sport that is football
. *Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode