It was a quick change of scenery for Kellen Moore. On Sunday, he was the offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, but by the afternoon, he and the team had decided to part ways. He was looking for a new challenge.
On Monday morning, he took the Chargers’ offensive coordinator position. Moore was a coveted offensive coordinator, so the Chargers didn’t let him go. He joined head coach Brandon Staley’s staff.
“It was a very fast process in very unique circumstances,” Moore said. “I enjoyed my time with Brandon during those couple days, and so naturally we kind of had a relationship that extended through the season, mostly through text messages. We kind of stayed in contact, and then, over the weekend, this thing obviously happened pretty fast.”
Moore and his offensive coaching staff have much work to do to improve the offense. He is no stranger to fixing what needs to improve. Under Jason Garrett, the team had certain rollercoaster seasons, but under Mike McCarthy, they had a record of 12-5 in both sessions.
Dallas’ offense ranked in the top four in points per game, scoring 27.7 per game, yards per game w/ 391 and third-down conversion percentage at 44%.They have played well under Moore, and Dak Prescott was even an MVP candidate in 2021.
The Chargers’ offense has some strengths and some glaring weaknesses. They have receiver Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, who still had a major impact on the offense despite missing numerous games. Running back Austin Ekeler also had a significant impact gaining a combined 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns.
“I’m just really excited to get to work with them,” Moore said. “The beauty of football and the beauty of systems — you want to build it around the players. I’m excited to figure out what they do best, how they’ve worked and work, and put them in the best situations to be successful.”
The former Boise State quarterback isn’t going to come in and slam a playbook down and tell Herbert that is the offense he will run. Moore wants to sit down with the rest of the offensive coaching staff and develop a playbook to help the quarterback take the next step.
The Chargers want a more balanced offense. They threw the ball 68% last season and ran 32%, while the Cowboys were a 55% passing 45% running team. Changes will need to happen to help the running game improve.
This offense will blend what Herbert likes, Moore likes, and maybe some Staley.
“We’re going to build a 2023 L.A. Chargers offense,” he said. “Will you be able to see the Air Coryell, Jason Garrett side? Absolutely. Will you see the West Coast and Mike McCarthy? Absolutely. We’ll keep things that are in place here that Justin feels really, really good about, and then we’re willing to explore.”
Interestingly, this won’t be the first time Herbert and Moore meet. They did it last year while filming several commercials. They will now work together to help improve a stagnant Chargers offense in 2022.
Moore talked about throwing the ball down the field, getting Herbert to move, and obviously protecting their young quarterback. The offense must play at a high level for this team to succeed.
“It’s amazing how life can come full circle,” Moore said. “I hadn’t spent a ton of time with him outside of those couple days, but I’ve always watched him from afar, loved watching him play at Oregon and certainly what he has done in the NFL just really, really excited.”
