At the 2023 NFL Combine, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy spoke to reporters about the new direction the offense was taking after the team and their former offensive coordinator. Kelly Moorewho is now with the Eagleshave decided to part ways after a disappointing season that saw them lose in the divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers. McCarthy criticized Moore’s play during the season, saying it had a negative impact on the defense, despite the offense finishing 11th overall with 354.9 yards per game.

“I’ve been where Kellen has been,” McCarthy said at the time, according to the Dallas Morning News reporter. Michael Gehlken. “Kellen wants to light up the scoreboard, but I want him to run the damn ball so I can rest my defense.”

Two seasons later, Moore is leading an offense that has been running the ball effectively, especially since the bye week. Boasting the league’s second-best rushing attack at 174.8 yards per game, Moore now has a chance to beat McCarthy and his former team for the first time when the Eagles and Cowboys face off Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium.

When talking about the running game’s success, Moore said it was a result of his ability to gain yards on first and second down, thanks to running. Saquon Barkley. According to Stathead, Barkley is averaging 5.8 yards per carry on first downs this season (589 yards on 102 attempts) and 6.5 yards on second downs (287 yards on 44 attempts), making third downs more manageable. The Cowboys defense is tied for 14th in average rushing yards allowed on first down (4.6 yards per carry) and 16th in average on second down (4.4 yards per carry).

“When you run the football as successfully as we have in a few of these games – not every time, but when we get those successes, hopefully we can build on them and continue to attack defense in that way,” Moore said.

The run also opened up the passing game, with defenders moving a step or two closer to the line of scrimmage to try to stop Barkley, opening windows for the quarterback. Jalen hurts throw and give to wide receivers AJ Brown And DeVonta Smith space to not only make the catch, but also gain yards after the catch, leading to big gains.

Having worked closely with McCarthy, Moore tries to avoid being predictable against someone he spent four seasons with in the coaching room. Moore has already faced the Cowboys once since leaving the team he played and coached for, meeting them last season with the Los Angeles Chargers. In that game, Moore’s offense totaled 272 yards, but the Chargers were only able to gain 53 yards on the ground in the Cowboys’ 20-17 loss. Looking for a different outcome, Moore acknowledges there will be some familiarity between the two, but that won’t be too much of a factor once the match begins.

“For a lot of coaches and players, they all overlap,” Moore said. “We’ve all worked together to some extent, so it’s no different than a lot of guys going to different places. Obviously there is a certain familiarity. There’s a little bit, but ultimately, once you get into the game, you play the game, and some of these things sort themselves out. I’m excited about this opportunity because it’s a big divisional game and all that fun stuff.

Moore also serves as a source of information, assisting the defensive coordinator Vic Fangio Get ready to face quarterback Cooper Rush. Rush was pressed into service after starter Dak Prescott suffered a hamstring injury last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Moore knows Rush well, as the two were teammates for a season before Moore became the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach in 2018 and then offensive coordinator in 2019.

“Every once in a while you might ask him something here or there about the quarterback,” Fangio said. “But he’s been out of there for two years now. I’m sure things have changed.

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Chris Franklin can be contacted at [email protected].