Analyst raises legitimate concern about Mike McCarthy as Cowboys play-caller

Doubts about Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy taking over play calling in 2023 linger.

“Let’s not forget, McCarthy’s offenses late in his tenure with Green Bay were criticized by Aaron Rodgers and others for being stale and unimaginative,” wrote Mike Jones of The Athletic.

McCarthy won Super Bowl XLV as Green Bay HC, but his offenses slowed down before the Packers fired him. Green Bay ranked 27th in scoring in 2017 and 14th in 2018. Dallas finished top-six in scoring three times in four seasons under former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. 

When McCarthy explained why the Cowboys dismissed Moore, he raised some eyebrows.

“Kellen wants to light the scoreboard up,” he said in a March news conference. “But I want him to run the damn ball, so I can rest my defense.” 

The HC’s reasoning is confusing, considering a high-scoring offense helps a team win games. Perhaps McCarthy meant to refer to the Cowboys’ offensive pace. Dallas ranked 26th in time of possession over the past two seasons, per Bill Barnwell of ESPN.

Although many believe a run-heavy offense is the key to elongating drives, that’s a misconception. The Chiefs averaged the most plays per drive through the last two seasons, per Barnwell. They logged the second-most passing attempts in 2021 and the fifth-most in 2022.

The Cowboys ranked 19th in passing attempts last season. McCarthy should take a page from Kansas City head coach Andy Reid and pass more.  

He doesn’t have to run Moore’s vertical attack, relying on the short, quick passes instead. Also, that benefits quarterback Dak Prescott after he threw a career-high 15 interceptions in 12 games last season. He won’t have to force the ball downfield as much, reducing turnovers.  

McCarthy must change his philosophy to ease the transition and lead the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl in 27 years.