Kellen Moore is out in Dallas, and Mike McCarthy is in as the Cowboys’ play-caller.
How much of a difference will that make for the offense? Well, quarterback Dak Prescott has put a number on it.
“Right now, Mike told me [about] 20-30-percent change,” Prescott told Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein recently. “I think if anything, it’s things that need to be changed.
“It’s great to dial in, fix some things, get sharper and crisper. I’m excited.”
In the aftermath of a Divisional Round exit at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys and Moore parted ways. The Dallas offensive coordinator for the last four seasons, Moore has now taken on the same job with the Los Angeles Chargers. McCarthy, meanwhile, will add play-calling to his plate while adding Brian Schottenheimer to the staff as the Cowboys’ new OC.
It’s a big change beyond just Xs and Os for Prescott.
“When you lose a friend, you’re going to be upset, but that’s the nature of this business,” Prescott said. “When I say I’m upset he’s gone, it’s not that I’m upset about the future. It’s that when you’re a player, you have the relationship we’ve had, when he was a player. [I] watched his success and watched him grow into the coordinator that he is.
“I’m just as excited about our opportunity as I am for a new start for Kellen.”
The opportunity for Prescott is to shore up the turnover issues that hobbled him in 2022. Prescott threw a league-high 15 interceptions, which also served as a career-worst tally for him despite missing five games. Following a two-pick performance in the Cowboys’ season-ending Divisional Round defeat against the San Francisco 49ers, Prescott garnered plenty of blame from pundits and fans. It was Moore’s departure that’s the most significant offensive change to date, though.
Now, McCarthy will call plays for his first time in Big D. How that plays out exactly won’t be glimpsed for months to come. But it is a change and one Prescott is supporting.
“Sometimes change is good,” Prescott said. “I’m a big believer in change and I’m excited for Mike calling the plays. I’m excited for Schotty. I’m excited for just being able to dial into this offense and just really get it to where we want it to be.
“I’m excited as hell.”
