Head Coach Ranking

Dallas Cowboys’ Announcement That Kellen Moore Will Call Plays Tabs Him as the Future Head Coach

By HCR Staff | Jan. 17, 2020

Yesterday, new Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy announced that Kellen Moore will be the play caller in 2020.

In our view, that means Moore’s being groomed by owner Jerry Jones as the future head coach of the Cowboys.

McCarthy takes a lot of pride in being a play caller; he sees himself as among the very best–after all, his peer group includes New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, as they received their head coaching opportunities together in 2006.

Plus, in 2016, he publicly stated that he would “never give up” play calling duties ever again after briefly turning the job over to Tom Clements with the Green Bay Packers. That’s a pretty emphatic statement.

So what happened?

Our suspicion is that Jones strongly conditioned the Cowboys’ head coaching job offer to McCarthy on keeping Moore as the offensive coordinator. Moore, in his own regard, also had some leverage as the University of Washington was purportedly trying to lure him. So if he didn’t want to be an offensive coordinator in title only, he had some perceived leverage to demand the play calling.

As for McCarthy, he clearly was somewhat desperate to become a head coach again. He went on an orchestrated media blitz to demonstrate his personal growth in an effort to get an offer. After all, at age 56, there was no guarantee he’d ever get one again, notwithstanding a Super Bowl victory.

Clearly, Jones is fond of Moore, and if McCarthy stumbles, Jones would have a hedge in-house. Obviously, we are speculating, but we’ve seen this movie before; it’s how Jason Garrett ascended to his job.

Like Garrett was, Moore is young, and a former college star and NFL quarterback. 

Jones likes to have ready answers for problems that don’t even exist yet. Hopefully they don’t, but in our view, Moore appears to be a “Plan B” in waiting.

Three of the NFL’s Most Desirable Jobs Could Open Up in 2020

By HCR Staff | Oct. 9, 2019

We’re a quarter of the way through the 2019 NFL season, and speculation already has begun on which head coaching jobs could open for the 2020 season.

Surprisingly, three jobs that could open would be among the most desirable in the NFL.

In Pittsburgh, head coach Mike Tomlin is under intense scrutiny. He already has served a long tenure in Pittsburgh, and based on what we have seen thus far this season, we believe that Tomlin’s methods have grown stale in Pittsburgh.

If this job opens, it is incredibly attractive for its stability. It is well documented that the Rooney family exhibits patience with its head coaches (only three since 1969), and if Tomlin were terminated, the talent cupboard also would not be completely bare. Additionally, any Steelers head coach enjoys a large and passionate fan base that truly provides a home field advantage.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones already has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. He also owns the most valuable sports team in the world.  Jerry’s reached the pinnacle in these areas, and this is what he is accustomed to.

However, in head coach Jason Garrett, he also is accustomed to a .500 coach. It’s as if Jones is accustomed to ordering the best steak in the house, and then proceeds to douse it with ketchup.

If Jones were to make a change at head coach, the job would be attractive because Jones would spare no expense in making his team competitive. However, one of the drawbacks to the job, is simply managing Jones.  It’s a high maintenance job in this respect, and not every candidate will be suited for it.

Finally, Dan Quinn’s tenure as the Atlanta Falcons head coach may be nearing an end.  Owner Arthur Blank has a difficult time hiding his impatience for a Super Bowl championship, and right now, he is witnessing a team that cannot perform to its talent level.  

Blank has done an admirable job in elevating the quality of this organization. The Falcons organization is on sound financial footing, has a new stadium and other outstanding facilities, and is in a large market that also is desirable as a place to live.

We see only two downsides to this position. One, the fan base is fickle and doesn’t always provide a true home-field advantage. Second, the NFC South continues to be one of the NFL’s toughest divisions.  

Dallas Cowboys Hang On To Defeat Seahawks in Wild Card Round

By HCR Staff | Jan. 6, 2019

As in the Colts-Texans AFC Wild Card game earlier in the day, elite defenses again took center stage Saturday night as the Dallas Cowboys held on for a 24-22 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC’s opening game of the NFL postseason.

The Cowboys and Seahawks have very similar defenses, with long, fast, athletic players. Those defenses didn’t disappoint Saturday night, as they controlled the game.

Playing at home, Dallas’ defense did a terrific job of shutting down the Seahawks’ vaunted running game. Without much of a running game, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was forced to improvise, and outside of wide receiver Tyler Lockett, he didn’t have much more help. The Seahawks started slow, but thanks to their elite defense went into halftime down only four.

The Cowboys scored first, taking a 3-0 lead, and subsequently had six opportunities to take control of the game with a two-possession lead. They went 0-for-6, as Seattle’s defense, led by linebacker Bobby Wagner and cornerback Shaquille Griffin, repeatedly thwarted Dallas’ offense.

Dallas was finally able to take control of the game with a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter after a terrific kick return by wide receiver Tavon Austin.

While Dallas advances to the divisional round, we see a fairly one-dimensional team. It’s a team that is led by a great defense, but supported by an offense that simply isn’t that dynamic. If opposing defensive coordinators center their efforts on stopping running back Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys don’t have enough of a high-powered passing game to threaten anybody to any significant degree. Additionally, it looks as if wide receiver Amari Cooper might have been slightly dinged in this game, and if he is slowed down by any significant degree, then Dallas’ offense will be severely hampered.

There was some scuttlebutt that if Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett lost this game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might consider terminating him. With this Victory, however, Garrett is virtually assured of returning in 2019. If that happens, we predict the Cowboys will look for a new offensive coordinator in any event. Current offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has been with the team for some time, and the offense simply does not look as innovative as others. Having said that, the offensive personnel lacks in some key areas, and that is not through any fault of Linehan.

If the Chicago Bears follow through and win at home against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Will go on the road to New Orleans next week. While the Cowboys defense matches up with the Saints offense, the Saints will have at their disposal in this next go-round wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn was out with an injury when the Cowboys beat the Saints in Week 13. He is the field stretcher, and his presence will be a difference-maker in the next round for the Saints if they should face the Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys 36, New York Giants 35 – Dec. 30, 2018

At New York
1:00 p.m. ET
37 degrees

TEAM PLAY
CALLING		 PERSONNEL GAME
PLANNING		 IN-GAME
ADJ		 CLOCK
MGMT		 HCR
DAL 8 8 8 7 8 7.8
NYG 8 8 8 8 7 7.8

Key Coaching Decision #1: (DAL ball, leading 14-10 / fourth-and-2, DAL 43 / 6:57 Q3)
• Dallas decided to go for it on fourth down. Dak Prescott completed an 11-yard pass to Cole Beasley to keep the drive alive. Prescott finished off the drive with a touchdown pass and a 21-10 Dallas lead.

Key Coaching Decision #2: (NYG ball, trailing 21-16/ 2-point attempt / 2:00 Q3)
• After a Giants touchdown, they decided to go for two. Eli Manning hit Evan Engram for a short pass an a successful 2-point attempt to cut the lead to three points.

Key Coaching Decision #3: (NYG ball, trailing 28-25 / fourth-and-1, NYG 35 / 7:48 Q4)
• Giants went for it on fourth down trailing by three points. Eli Manning ran a quarterback sneak to get the first down. Saquon Barkley capped off the Giants drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.

Key Coaching Decision #4: (DAL ball, trailing 35-34 / 2-point attempt / 1:19 Q4)
• After an amazing touchdown reception by Cole Beasley, the Cowboys went for two. Dak Prescott hit Michael Gallup for the successful conversion to give Dallas a 1-point lead.

Key Observations:
• Dak Prescott played one of the best games of his career and finished with 387 yards passing and four touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to the road victory.

• Saquon Barkley set the NFL record for receptions by a rookie as he finished with 91 catches on the season. He finished the game with over 130 yards of total offense and a touchdown.

• As winners of the NFC East, Dallas will host the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round next Saturday night. The Giants will head into the offseason having to decide if Eli Manning will be back leading the New York offense.

Dallas Cowboys 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 – Dec. 23, 2018

At Dallas
1:00 p.m. ET
Dome

TEAM PLAY
CALLING		 PERSONNEL GAME
PLANNING		 IN-GAME
ADJ		 CLOCK
MGMT		 HCR
TB 7 7 7 7 7 7.0
DAL 7 7 7 7 7 7.0

Key Coaching Decision #1: (TB ball, trailing 27-13 / fourth-and-2, TB 45 / 15:00 Q4)
Key Coaching Decision #2: (TB ball, trailing 27-13 / fourth-and-1, DAL 16 / 10:25 Q4)
Key Coaching Decision #3: (TB ball, trailing 27-13 / fourth-and-6, DAL 16 / 7:57 Q4)

• Dallas had just scored on two straight drives (10 points) and the Bucs needed to put some points on the board as the game had entered the fourth quarter. They would attempt three fourth-down conversions on the drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock.

• Fourth-Down Attempt #1: After the start of the fourth quarter, Jameis Winston threw a short pass to Jacquizz Rodgers for a five-yard gain on fourth down to extend a Bucs drive.

• Fourth-Down Attempt #2: Later, and in Cowboys territory, Winston plunged ahead for a 2-yard gain. However, a defensive delay of game penalty on DeMarcus Lawrence gave the Bucs another fourth down conversion on the drive.

• Fourth-Down Attempt #3: The Bucs’ luck ended on their third fourth-down conversion attempt as a Winston 5-yard scramble left them one yard short of a first down.

• The Bucs held the ball for 17 plays and 73 yards and took 9:35 off the clock and scored no points. This for the most part ended the Bucs’ chances of coming back in the game. They eventually would cut the Cowboys advantage to 27-20.

Key Observations:
• The Cowboys clinched the NFC East title with the win over Tampa Bay. It is their second division title in three years. Tampa Bay has now lost three straight games.

• Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston threw for 336 yards and one touchdown on 34 of 48 passing attempts. His efforts were much needed as the Bucs’ running game could not generate much (24 carries for 63 yards) against a stingy Cowboys run defense.

• Tampa Bay’s offense ran 25 more plays (75 to 50) than Dallas and enjoyed an advantage of more than 160 total yards (383 to 232) in the loss.

• Meanwhile, Dak Prescott threw for only 161 yards on 20 of 25 passing attempts. While the Cowboys offense struggled, running back Ezekiel Elliott, the NFL rushing leader, carried the load for the team and finished with 85 rushing yards on 18 carries and had five receptions for 24 yards.

• The Cowboys defensive front may be without one of their core players as defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford left the game on a stretcher and with his neck stabilized.