Damning Kellen Moore-Mike McCarthy stat has Cowboys fans missing former OC

The Dallas Cowboys fanbase is slowly losing patience with Mike McCarthy.

While McCarthy's game management has left something to be desired (remember when he was trying to establish the run down two scores in the fourth quarter vs the Cardinals?), most of the animosity has been directed at his play-calling and basic offensive scheme.

How bad is it? Cowboys fans are suddenly second-guessing the organization's decision to dismiss Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator. McCarthy obviously had a say in that, but it's become apparent Moore wasn't the problem in Dallas.

While Moore's offenses didn't get the job done against the 49ers, they caused a lot more damage than what McCarthy's group managed in Week 5.

With the Cowboys matching up against Moore's LA Chargers this week, the narrative isn't going anywhere. The statistical comparisons have been hot and heavy on social media this week, and this particular nugget from PFF's John Owning might be enough to make fans in Dallas queasy.

Mike McCarthy neutering Dak Prescott has Cowboys fans missing Kellen Moore.

It's one thing to be conservative. This, however, is galaxy brain stuff from McCarthy and brings us back to the 3rd and 5 against the 49ers when Dak Prescott threw two yards short of the sticks -- right in front of star linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, who gobbled up the pass-catcher as soon as he caught the ball.

It just underlines the simplicity of McCarthy's offense. Too many slants and crossing routes and ignoring the deep middle of the field (one of Dak's favorite areas to target) to isolate linebackers in space. No motion to leverage/bait defenders pre or post snap, which the 49ers executed to a tee on Sunday, by the way.

The lack of play action is just as infuriating, though we suppose Dallas would need to establish a threat on the ground for play action to work ... which sheds light on another issue with McCarthy's offense: Dallas can't run the ball.

Tony Pollard is very clearly capable of producing like a RB1, but his yards per attempt this season has plummeted to 4.2 after it was a blistering 5.2 last year, which ranked third at the position. Somehow, that's the least of McCarthy's concerns.

The head coach deployed the same scheme that worked against the Patriots for the 49ers matchup, even though everything on tape suggested San Francisco's defense would feast on his quick slants and crossing routes.

Prescott's 6.6 yards per attempt are a career-low. It's criminal and really franchise malpractice considering he's making $40 million per year. He can sling it with the best QBs and McCarthy has rendered him to a Jimmy Garoppolo-esque game manager.

We miss Kellen Moore. There, we said it. Happy?

More Cowboys news and analysis: