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The Texas coast can be a beautiful place. Along some sections of it, the view can be downright breathtaking at times, with pristine beaches, glassy water and brilliant blue skies combining for an unbeatable view no postcard could ever do justice.
But, boy, are there other kinds of days along the Gulf Coast, ones when litter-filled beaches, complete with scraggly patches of dried-up seaweed, butt up against choppy waters under a menacing gray sky. It’s the kind of day you wished you had driven many hours east to Alabama or Florida for your sandy, summer getaway.
Even after the Dallas Cowboys 20-17 win on Monday night over the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Mike McCarthy’s so-called “Texas coast offense” is so far looking more like the drab, possibly tragic beach trip than it is the care-free, sun-soaked excursion fans hoped for when the coach took over play-calling duties.
It’s styled after the influential West Coast offense of Bill Walsh, Hall of Fame coach of the San Francisco 49ers: a plan that gives priority to a steady stream of high-percentage passes. McCarthy’s variation hasn’t exactly lit up the scoreboards just yet. To be fair to McCarthy, it’s been reported that it was his QBs who nicknamed the offensive scheme, not him.
On a night when the most anticipated matchup was between coaches, not opposing QBs or any others on the field of play, the Cowboys’ offense again looked at times lost, too conservative and uninspired. Although he faced a healthy bit of defensive pressure, QB Dak Prescott had a decent game. If you looked only at his basic stats (21 of 30 for 272 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions) without watching the game, you could reasonably wonder what all the fuss is about. But to be clear: the numbers sometimes lie.
Texas Coast Offense pic.twitter.com/I2qOftOpqy
— Ryan Medellín (@Ryan_Medellin) October 17, 2023
The Cowboys have long had a high-powered offense, usually at the top of many league rankings. The naked numbers haven’t been of much concern in the past, but this year, with a new offensive scheme in place, it’s fair to be concerned.
The expected battle of McCarthy’s offense vs. that of former Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore sputtered its way to its ugly conclusion last night with the total score falling well below the Las Vegas oddsmakers’ over/under number of 50.5 points.
It’s often said by those in the know you should never apologize for wins in the NFL. We get that. On his weekly radio show on 1310 The Ticket, Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman has long repeated his belief that winning a game on Sunday (or any other day) is tremendously difficult, and a win is a win.
And, hey, the Cowboys’ 4-2 record looks a hell of a lot better than 3-3, and it keeps the club only one game behind the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, who thankfully suffered their first loss of the year on Sunday. Should the Cowboys finish strong and make the playoffs for a third consecutive year, most of us won’t look back and still gripe about this specific win being less than convincing. Will we even have forgotten about last week’s embarrassing 42-10 defeat in San Francisco when the offense seemed to take the day off? Doubtful, but maybe.
But that doesn’t mean the offense has been particularly fun to watch so far. For the most part, the defensive side of the ball has been where the excitement has been doled out in 2023. Remember the first two wins this season? The ones where the Cowboys clobbered both teams from New York City? Those were defensive master classes that largely propped up the offense for scores that now feel somewhat misleading.
Although Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb found their groove in the second game of the season, the offense was given extra chances to score thanks to the stellar ballhawking of the defense.
As for a small statistical showdown between McCarthy’s offense of this year and Moore’s offense last year, the now offensive coordinator for the Chargers comes out on top. A third of the way through the 2023 season the Cowboys are averaging fewer total yards, passing yards, rushing yards and points per game than they did last year with Moore calling the plays. The 2022 numbers included the five games with current backup QB Cooper Rush as the starter while Prescott was out with injury.
STANDING ON BUSINESS 😤
COWBOYS HANG ON TO BEAT THE CHARGERS ON MNF 🤠pic.twitter.com/1aAzyhH53X
— ESPN (@espn) October 17, 2023
It’s not just the offensive production that’s been an eyesore this season. Penalties, and especially highly avoidable pre-snap penalties like false start and offsides, stole any sense of momentum Prescott and crew could begin to muster. Not only did Dallas have 11 penalties totaling 85 yards, L.A. nabbed four first downs from those mistakes. If there’s one thing that can ugly up a pretty beach, it’s unwanted, yellow laundry.
McCarthy acknowledged his team’s trouble during his post-game press conference, calling the game “a bumpy night.”
But, again, a win is a win. In his Monday SturmStack breakdown of the game, Bob Sturm of 1310 The Ticket prefaced his analysis with a bit of needed cold logic, writing, “We especially do not apologize for road wins – against playoff teams that are coming off restful bye weeks as Dallas was just put through the ringer in San Francisco.”
For a small dose of sunlight peeking over the clouds, we can look toward the east, to Charlotte. Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich just announced he is handing over offensive play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator following his squad falling to 0-6 for the season. The Cowboys’ Texas coast offense may not have given its fans much to frolic about this season, but we’ll stay on this beach where it’s somewhat safe, within reach of the division leader. It beats the treacherous rip current of the league’s murky depths that Panthers fans must navigate.
