Cowboys setting expectations sky-high for Mike McCarthy’s new role

The Cowboys are setting the bar high for head coach Mike McCarthy after the departure of Kellen Moore. McCarthy will have to dig deep into his playbook this year.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will be resuming some of his duties as offensive play-caller this season, and he himself has a great vision of what this Cowboys’ offense will be.

After Kellen Moore left for the Chargers earlier this year, the Cowboys moved Brian Schottenheimer into a newly promoted role while also ceding much of the play-calling duties to McCarthy in 2023.

The Cowboys head coach recently expressed his excitement about his new role, and Schottenheimer echoed that McCarthy would bring a newfound aggressiveness and energy to the team’s attacking scheme.

With brand new weapons in wideout Brandin Cooks and utility back Deuce Vaughn, McCarthy has every reason to be optimistic.

Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy is excited for offensive play-calling duties

The key word is Schottenheimer’s quote may be “attacking”. The Cowboys’ offense has become known more for its gaffes than its efficiency in recent years. The defense has long been lauded as the team’s greatest strength with stacked positions from the pass-rush to the backfield; however, Dallas’ ability to drive down the field in crucial gotta-have-it games leaves much to be desired.

This past postseason, the Cowboys beat the Bucs in the Wild Card round but fell to the 49ers 23-17 shortly after, as their offense came up short against a stout San Francisco defense.

Creating a multi-faceted, well-oiled passing attack will be one of McCarthy’s most daunting challenges this summer. Losing Ezekiel Elliott won’t change the Cowboys’ run game much given that Tony Pollard had already clearly won the No. 1 back role last season. Pair Pollard’s dual-threat talent with the Cowboys’ explosive and dynamic outside targets, and hopefully McCarthy will have a Super Bowl-contending offense on his hands.