Former Packers WR rips Kellen Moore for failing to 'protect' Cowboys' Dak Prescott

Did Kellen Moore facilitate Dak Prescott's interception woes last season?

Aug 4, 2022; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (left) and head
Aug 4, 2022; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (left) and head / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
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As much as the Dallas Cowboys were praised for trading for Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore, their decision to bid farewell to offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and replace him with head coach Mike McCarthy has been ridiculed by numerous members of the NFL media.

McCarthy has long had a polarizing rep among the media. Folks have been critical of his situational coaching and game and clock management.

While McCarthy hasn't done much to quell those concerns, he's moved mountains since arriving in Dallas, leading the team to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time 2006 and 2007 and back-to-back seasons with at least 12 wins for the first time since they did it four straight years spanning 1992-1995.

There's also McCarthy's history of success as a play-caller to consider.

While many folks believe the Cowboys goofed by canning Moore in favor of McCarthy, former Packers receiver James Jones vehemently believes McCarthy is the right man for the job, largely because Moore did little to help Dak Prescott when the quarterback was struggling turning the football over.

Will Cowboys QB Dak Prescott benefit from Mike McCarthy calling the shots on offense?

“If Dak Prescott is struggling, maybe going through a slump to where he’s turning the football over, you know what we going to do? We aren’t going to take these shots down the field. We’re getting the ball out of your hands faster, quick decisions," Jones said on FS1's Speak for Yourself. "I am going to protect you in the way I call the play. Kellen Moore did not protect Dak Prescott when Dak Prescott was struggling.”

“Kellen Moore was so caught up in his own ways that, 'This is how I’m calling the game.' No matter how the game goes, this is how I’m calling the game. This is what I got written up on third down, that’s what I’m running on third down, I don’t care if the quarterback is struggling, I don’t care if we are running the ball well, this is what I’m calling on third down.' Coach Mike will help Dak in that area.”

Here's the clip of Jones going to town on the former Cowboys OC:

Two things can be true here: Could Moore have done more to simplify the playbook when Dak struggled to see the field? No doubt. But could Prescott have been more responsible with his decision-making and taken less risks? You bet.

Jones' opinion doesn't validate the Cowboys decision, but it shouldn't fall on deaf ears given he played under McCarthy for eight years.

Odds are he knows a thing or two about how McCarthy works to put his quarterbacks in the best position to succeed.

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