Cowboys Mistake? Coach Mike McCarthy Should’ve Been Play-Caller All Along!'

Mike McCarthy is taking over the Dallas offense and has big shoes to fill after Kellen Moore's exploits, but will the Cowboys be as good with McCarthy in this role?

Dallas Cowboys head coach/offensive play-caller Mike McCarthy has a big job ahead of him next season. Taking over from the departed Kellen Moore, McCarthy now has total control of the Dallas offense.

To some, that is great; our Mike Fisher has been preaching for three years that with no disrespect to Moore, “the best play-caller in the building is Big Mike.

The move does come with an added level of pressure, and in theory “Big Mike” has his job on the line if it doesn't work out. 

Taking over from Moore, who in working under McCarthy had the Cowboys as the No. 1 ranked offense in 2021 (31.2 points) and No. 4 in 2022 (27.5 points) is no easy task.

So, can McCarthy have Dallas as a top-five offense yet again? Analyst Brian Baldinger thinks so but also has reservations about the Cowboys run game.

"I think they can be," Baldinger said on NFL Total Access. "One of the things they benefit by is nobody is taking the ball away more than the Cowboys in the last two years. They get short fields, get the ball back to the offense.

"Tony Pollard, I'm a little concerned. He's never carried the ball 200 times in his life. … I am excited to see Mike McCarthy because I think he should have been the offensive coordinator all along, and I'm excited to see Mike work with Dak (Prescott).”

The Dallas run game, for many, is the biggest "what if," as they no longer have the "hammer" of Ezekiel Elliott for those short-yardage situations.

With Pollard, some feel that won't get the job done consistently, especially given McCarthy's desire to run the ball more.

McCarthy succeeded as an offensive play caller in Green Bay, and Dallas will want similar returns now. Moore's offense was one of the best in the NFL in back-to-back years, and that will be the baseline for McCarthy.

Will the Cowboys be a top-five offense next season? They have the pieces to be. And McCarthy has the pressure to be.

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