Of all the changes that might be in store for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, the move to part ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore puzzled many observers.
After all, Moore spent four years calling the plays for Dak Prescott & Co., and the Cowboys led the NFL in total yardage twice and this year finished fourth in scoring. So Moore’s departure on Jan. 29 didn’t make much sense. (He didn’t stay unemployed long; the Los Angeles Chargers snapped him up as their new OC a day later)
Legendary Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman told Dallas Sports Radio 96.7 the change had nothing to do with Moore’s performance, but involved head coach Mike McCarthy‘s desire to return to calling the offense.
“I think … a lot of people feel like maybe Mike is scapegoating Kellen Moore,” Aikman said (via the Kansas City Star). “I don’t feel that’s the case.”
Aikman, now an NFL broadcast analyst with Fox Sports, said McCarthy wants to put his own stamp, so to speak, on the Cowboy offense.
“There’s probably a comfort level for Mike that he just never quite had coming in and not running his offense,” Aikman said. “Because even in Green Bay when he was not calling the plays, it was still his offense. Now I’m sure there were concepts, there were things that were installed in the offense here. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t the offense that he came here with, that he would have put in.”
Aikman noted the move did not surprise him at all.
“You almost expected (it),” Aikman said, “knowing Mike and how he wants to be hands-on.”