Same Dallas Cowboys coaches return for 2022: Good news?

With 49ers OC Mike McDaniel getting the top job in Miami, it appears the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff stays intact and the whole band comes back for 2022. For better or for worse, they get to take another crack at this thing one more time. The Dallas Cowboys keep their continuity and the coaching staff has an entire offseason to learn and adjust.

This situation seemed impossible a just few months ago. In October, Dallas had one of the best records in the NFL. Their offense was the best in the league and their defense was the most improved. Everyone from coordinator to water boy was getting praise for the efforts.

But things began to fizzle. The Dallas Cowboys still finished the season as one of the top ranked teams, their offense was still at the top, and their defense was still improved. But they lost much of their luster.

Kellen Moore was thrown a curveball and never figured out how to hit it. He has all offseason to get in the batting cage and figure it out

The Cowboys offense struggled against decent defenses. The O-line couldn’t protect, the running game couldn’t get positive gains, Dak couldn’t create magic, and the play-calling couldn’t beat the coverage-heavy looks. Unstoppable suddenly became inefficient and untrustworthy.

One first round playoff exit later, and the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff suddenly wasn’t so highly regarded. Dan Quinn, architect of the defense, still received deserved praise but even he couldn’t flip that into a head coaching gig this offseason.

After multiple outside interviews with multiple teams, both Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn are on their way back to Dallas. To continue what they started and prove to the rest of the league they made a mistake not hiring them this winter.

Keep in mind, even Mike McCarthy was a question to return for 2022. After the season, McCarthy offered some saltiness to questions about his ineffective offense. He essentially put it all on Kellen and not so gracefully dodged blame.

By most accounts Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn were left to manage things themselves. Sink or swim, McCarthy was not life preserver to reach for. This reputation has followed McCarthy from Green Bay when reports of the same lazy approach was first documented.

Questioning what value, if any, McCarthy brings to the table, put him on the hot seat as well. Sean Payton’s sudden entry into the market only exasperated such job insecurity. But Payton’s upcoming year in TV has bought McCarthy time. Lame duck year be darned, this is McCarthy’s chance to rebuild his image.

All three of the Dallas Cowboys top coaches are coming back, will they achieve better results this year?

We certainly better hope so. While the Cowboys looked great on paper last season, those watching the games saw they were vulnerable and more mortal than the raw numbers indicated. Luckily for them they they have a year to figure this stuff out and plenty of resources at their disposal.

Kellen Moore comes from that Boise State coaching tree that has experience through college and into the pros. If Kellen can’t figure things out on his own, he has friends and colleagues available to him.

Dan Quinn has added pull within the organization and the defense will likely get the bulk of the free agent dollars this year. While a little regression should be expected on defense, they will also grow more stable in Year 2 of Quinn. Much will depend on who is re-signed/cut/drafted but the defense isn’t a major concern at this point.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed McCarthy is coming back to cash paychecks for another year.

Consistency is good for a team. New coaches rarely succeed in Year 1 so keeping the band together in 2022 can certainly be seen as a good thing, even if we’re upset with how they performed down the stretch.

Mike McCarthy knows there is no market for him outside of Dallas so it’s imperative he changes the narrative and starts contributing. Kellen Moore was thrown a curveball and never figured out how to hit it. He has all offseason to get in the batting cage and figure it out because you can bet that’s all he’s going to see going forward.

It’s hard to get exited about the same when things ended so disappointedly, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed McCarthy is coming back to cash paychecks for another year. But the Dallas Cowboys have the brainpower and resources to figure things out this offseason. They have the talent and ability to bounce back.

Is it good news the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff is coming back in 2022? I wouldn’t say that but it doesn’t have to be bad news either.