MCCARTHY WILL CALL PLAYS FOR DALLAS
With Moore gone to Bolts, Cowboys head coach takes role
Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is set to call plays in 2023 after the club parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Owner/General Nanager Jerry Jones told reporters at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday that McCarthy will run a version of the West Coast offense he used when calling plays as head coach in Green Bay from 2006-18.
Executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones hinted at philosophical differences between McCarthy and Moore, who kept the play-calling role for three seasons after McCarthy was hired.
The Los Angeles Chargers hired Moore as offensive coordinator Monday, a day after the Cowboys announced Moore’s departure.
The Cowboys haven’t had the head coach calling plays since Jason Garrett gave up that role after the 2012 season. Moore’s debut as offensive coordinator came in 2019, Garrett’s final year in Dallas.
McCarthy said he wanted to keep Moore as the playcaller because he thought it was the best thing for quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys had one of the league’s most productive offenses the past two seasons when Prescott was healthy. But they misfired on offense in playoff losses each time, most recently in a 19-12 divisional-round loss to San Francisco last month.
McCarthy briefly gave up play-calling with the Packers, and said he’d never give up that role again after taking it back over.
He was fired midseason in 2018 and reversed course on that declaration after joining Dallas in 2020. Now McCarthy is back in that role.
With McCarthy set to call plays, Dallas is still planning to hire an offensive coordinator. Among the interviews are Carolina’s Jeff Nixon and
Thomas Brown of the Los Angeles Rams. Both have been assistant head coaches, with Nixon in charge of running backs and Brown coaching tight ends.
Lynn gets a look
The Washington Commanders are interviewing Anthony Lynn for their offensive coordinator vacancy.
The team confirmed the interview Wednesday. Lynn, the San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach/running backs coach, is the sixth candidate the Commanders have spoken to about the job.
Coach Ron Rivera interviewed Lynn in person in California days after the 49ers flew home following their loss at Philadelphia in the NFC championship game. Rivera was criticized on social media Tuesday by Washington radio broadcasters for golfing at Pebble Beach before hiring an offensive coordinator.
Lynn, 54, offers a deep résumé after coaching the Los Angeles Chargers from 201720 and serving as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2021 before joining San Francisco.
Before Lynn, the Commanders interviewed former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, current Washington quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese, Atlanta Falcons QB coach Charles London, Miami Dolphins associate head coach/RBs coach Eric Studesville and Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/ tight ends coach Thomas Brown.
Notable
A person familiar with the situation says Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule has filed an arbitration suit with the NFL against the Carolina Panthers seeking about $5 million in offset severance compensation.
Rhule was fired as Panthers head coach on Oct. 10. Rhule hired high-profile New York City litigator John Singer of Singer Deutsch LLP to handle the suit, according to an AP source. A Panthers spokesman declined to comment.