Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy takes on the role of playmaker and loves it. Speaking to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, McCarthy gave a glimpse of what the 2023 season will look like.
“This is the most fun I’ve had since I’ve been in Dallas,” he said as he took over play-calling duties. “Just to be back in the briefing room full-time with the coaches. Just to go and break from 8am to 11:30am and you just talk about scheme. I didn’t. So this part is different.”
The team parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who was at Dallas for four seasons, three of them with McCarthy, opening the window for a new play-caller. McCarthy has experience as a play-caller from his time with the Green Bay Packers.
McCarthy believes the move will be beneficial for quarterback Dak Prescott, who will have a new play-caller for the first time since 2018. The head coach said Prescott was happy with the move.
“I think number one, we all could use a new voice,” McCarthy said via NFL.com. “We can all use a sense of motivation and challenge and whatnot. This is a new challenge for him – his words – he is very excited about it. I just think like everything else he had a chance to break away from the other variations on the existing offense. He is preparing to take another turn in terms of variation on what we are preparing for. We will build it on what he has laid down.
What his new voice might look like, McCarthy described the change as a change in mindset and principles.
“Kellen wants to light the scoreboard,” McCarthy said (via the Dallas Morning News), “but I want him to run the damn ball so I can rest my defense.
“I think if you’re a coordinator, you know, but you’re in charge of offense. As a head coach and game caller, you’re a little more in tune with (everything). I don’t want to be the No. 1 offensive team in the league I want to be the No. 1 team in the league with the number of wins and a championship And if we give up some production and have to look after the ball a little better, to to get that, we’re going to do that because we have a really good defense.”
Though McCarthy’s words came out as strong criticism of his former offensive play-caller, Moore — now the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator — had only positive things to say about working under the Super Bowl champ’s head coach.
“It was really fun to just be part of the world merging process,” said Moore. via ESPN. “I think it was such a fun process. There’s just so many little things about going through game schedules and game days as you call the games, just being able to have those conversations about different avenues you can go, different avenues you can take, he’s really been a great sounding board for me.”
McCarthy, looking to direct football even more than he did in 2022, would make her one of the most run-heavy offenses in the entire league. The Cowboys ranked sixth in rushing attempts in 2022 (531), but their success per rush was in the bottom half of the NFL and ranked 18th in yards per carry (4.3). Dallas was one of the best third-place finishers last season with the fifth-highest conversion rate (45.5%), but Prescott’s arm was one of the keys to that success. He averaged 9.1 yards per pass attempt, the third most in the NFL behind only 2022 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes (9.9) and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (9.4).
McCarthy stressed the importance of having a quarterback who can lead his team to victory, but after Prescott became the first player in NFL history to lead or lead the league in interceptions while missing five games, the head coach is trying to capitalize on the potential pruning for sales.
“Your quarterback has to be able to throw the ball 45 times in a game and win,” McCarthy said (via The Athletic). “Can’t win a championship in this league if your guy doesn’t have the skills I think. But making her do it every week? It is fun. It’s fun as hell to name these games, but that’s not what’s best for your team. Ball possession time goes to hell, risk to turnover increases.”
After the Cowboys’ playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round, in which Prescott threw two picks, McCarthy felt it was “a good time to make that change,” though Moore did a “superb job,” according to the head coach. The team hired Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator this offseason to assist him with offensive duties.
McCarthy says about 30 to 35 percent of the offense will change after Moore’s departure, but there won’t be “big” changes.