Dallas Cowboys: Kellen Moore’s success as OC could come down to this

For Kellen Moore to succeed in his first season as the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator he’s going to need this to happen…

The Dallas Cowboys surprised a lot of people this past offseason when they named second year coach Kellen Moore their offensive coordinator. It’s not often a position of such status and importance is handed to such a relatively new coach.

The promotion was especially surprising considering Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett is coaching in the last year of his deal making this season essentially make-or-break for his Dallas Cowboys coaching career. Trusting an unproven commodity like Moore is a bold move for a conservative coach looking for a new deal.

The early reviews of Kellen Moore have been nothing short of stellar. Granted, anyone Dallas would have brought in to replace former OC Scott Linehan would likely be getting rave reviews, but Kellen’s getting above and beyond all of that.

We've heard Cowboys QB Dak Prescott praise offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as a "phenom" and "genius."

Today, RB Tony Pollard said he's "crazy incredible" at utilizing players in scheme. We hadn't even asked about Kellen
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) May 10, 2019

From the top signal caller to the newest weapon, Kellen Moore has been making an impression around these parts. Even the once suspicious and always outspoken Michael Irvin has changed his tune and endorsed Moore after learning more about his philosophy.

What exactly do we know about Kellen Moore? Not much really. But we do know he’s considered an offensive savant in NFL circles, which basically explains his playing career since it certainly wasn’t physical talent keeping him employed.

We also know Kellen likes to keep things simple for his offense while making it look complicated to the defense. Using different looks and motions but using many of the same established plays is a great way to go about doing that AND it’s something the NFL’s top offenses typically have in common with one another.

Kellen Moore on his offensive approach: "Probably multiple. I think the beauty of our current roster is we have a lot of versatility. ... Hopefully we can be multiple and present things in different ways, and at the end of the day, still have our foundation and our philosophy."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 11, 2019

So what could stand in the way of Kellen achieving success on a level Dallas Cowboys fans expect? The answer is Jason Garrett.

Jason Garrett may not feel like he’s on the hot seat but his comfort level has to be different coaching on the last year of his deal. As such, he may be more resistant to change, more impatient, and more meddling, than he’d otherwise be with a new offensive coordinator.

As long as that “safety net” doesn’t stunt growth and innovation https://t.co/W8SR4ONDJE
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) May 8, 2019

Even the best offenses go through peaks and valleys throughout an NFL season. What happens when the Dallas Cowboys dive into that inevitable valley in 2019? Will Jason Garrett pull an “I told you so” and seize control? Will he actively simplify Kellen’s innovation and move back to the ways of old?

I don’t know the answer to that but the idea of it happening isn’t very far-fetched and frankly, understandable, given his contract situation.

Dallas Cowboys’ fans have heard big talk of innovation before and not seen anything come to fruition. Who can forget the bold comments last year at this time about what was in store for Tavon Austin, the “web back?”

The good news is the team, coaching staff, and even the front office seems to have faith in Kellen Moore. Even if Jason Garrett gets nervous this season and finds himself tempted to reign in his creativity, he’s going to have to convince players and the front office he has a better solution.