We can assume that the Dallas Cowboys defense will continue to get better under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn after his impressive first year with the team. But can the same be said for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore?
Right now, I think he’s is lucky to still be with the Cowboys calling the plays. Moore is probably on one of the shortest leashes among offensive coordinators around the league after his offensive collapse mid-way through the 2021 season. If Moore wants to keep his job and also reestablish himself as a future head coach and top offensive coordinator, he will need to get back on track.
4 things Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore needs to do to be better in 2022
1. Start using designed pick plays
The first thing Moore needs to come to terms with is that he’s lost his best route-running receiver in Amari Cooper. With Cooper now gone, Moore will have to do more in terms of scheming his receivers open. CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup are good receivers but they aren’t on the same level of route running capability as Cooper.
Moore is going to need to start adding in designed pick plays to get his receivers’ space and give quarterback Dak Prescott bigger windows to throw the ball. We’ve seen how well it works against the Cowboys’ defense so it’s time for the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator to start using it against other defenses.
It would be an effective tool with the open field ability that Lamb, Gallup, and free-agent pick-up James Washington add. The designed pick plays will do wonders for Prescott who’s going to be behind an offensive line full of new starters. It will allow the QB to get the ball out of his hands quickly and draw defenses which will let him take deep shots downfield. It’s time for Moore to get with the times and start adding more designed pick plays into his playcalling.
2. Take advantage of your mobile quarterback
This Cowboys offense has always had success when Prescott has been able to use his legs effectively. The QB used to be able to buy time extending a play or use his legs to pick up first downs and move the chains.
Last season, Moore wasn’t able to get the most out of Prescott due to it being his first season back from an ankle injury that required two surgeries. Plus, just when we thought Prescott could handle the workload and start using his legs, he pulled a calf muscle that hampered him for the rest of the season. Now, with a full offseason under his belt without having to rehab an injury, Moore should have the ability to utilize this crucial aspect of the Cowboys’ offensive scheme.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said he hopes QB Dak Prescott will have more designed runs/scrambles/movement throws in 2022, now that he’s a full season removed from ankle injury. “We tried to be smart when we used him” last year. Has impressed in the spring. pic.twitter.com/VBu9Appj67
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) June 14, 2022
Moore needs to get teams to realize just how big of a threat Prescott can be running the ball. Designing runs specifically for Prescott will force teams to put more people in the box and start to open up his passing game more. Prescott’s legs also need to be used more often in the red zone –an area where Moore has consistently had issues putting points on the board. There have been reports that they want to use Prescott’s legs more but it can’t just be for bootlegs. They need him to be a threat to make plays and pick up yards again.
3. Effectively utilize Elliott and Pollard at the same time
One could say that last season’s most explosive and productive player on the Cowboys offense was Tony Pollard, who was able to make plays in both the running game and passing game. That effectiveness looks to have spawned new ideas from Moore and McCarthy who are going to look to utilize Pollard more on the field as a slot receiver. It’s about time, too.
Pollard had been productive ever since his arrival, and now with a healthy Elliott to pair with him, this Cowboys offense has a chance to really be explosive with both on the field at the same time.
We know teams last season dared the Cowboys to run the ball opting to focus on the Dallas passing game. Now, with Pollard in the slot, they have to respect his playmaking ability to draw defenders off the line of scrimmage and give Elliott more space to make plays.
This can be used in Pollard’s favor as well. If teams decide to load the box, then Pollard could be matched up with a linebacker or safety – matchups he should be able to win more often than not. Let’s hope this rumor is true because this is something that many have wanted to see happen for a while now, and we’ve only been teased with it so far.
4. Be more creative with playcalling
Let’s face it. Whenever the Cowboys’ offense seems to stall it’s because Moore gets stuck trying to figure out how to beat defenses that seemingly have figured him out. By stuck, I mean going back to what he knows and that’s the Scott Linehan and Jason Garrett playbook. That’s when the jet sweeps and runs on first down start seeping back into the plays on the field and that’s something that hopefully (with the help of Mike McCarthy) will change this season.
Moore can still be a very good play caller in this league but he needs to make sure to be creative in his game planning in order to keep things fresh on the field and keep defenses guessing. This all goes back to adding designed pick plays, utilizing both Elliott and Pollard on the field, and using Prescott’s legs.
The more creative you can be in your game planning, the more fun it is for the players. Quinn was able to do it with his squad, and now it’s Moore’s chance to lead an exciting offense for all eighteen weeks of the season.