Should the Saints hire Kellen Moore as the next head coach?
On Jan. 6, the news broke that the New Orleans Saints would be adding many names to their head coaching search. One of them, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, is Philidelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
The #Saints have requested permission to interview #Eagles OC Kellen Moore for their head coaching job, sources say. Heâll be eligible to interview virtually next week.
â Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 6, 2025
While currently coaching for the Eagles, Moore used to be the OC for the Chargers and Cowboys. A young coach, he was also a Cowboyâs quarterback as recently as 2017.
But due to me growing up 40 minutes away from AT&T Stadium, Iâm apprehensive about this move. Moore never seemed to be the belle of the ball for the fans or the local media as OC. Wanting specifics, though, I asked a diehard Cowboys fan if there were any reasons for his unpopularity.
âEither of the season-ending plays vs. the 49ers,â one said.
Not quite remembering the plays, I went and looked for them. And what I found was a play youâd see in a âTop 10 weird NFL playsâ list.
That play would be Mooreâs last as the Cowboyâs OC, as, according to ESPN, he and the team mutually agreed to part ways the next week.
However, it seems that my initial thoughts mightâve been a bit too much, because with Moore as OC, the Cowboys averaged a top 10 offenseâpeaking in 2021. Dallas would make the playoffs twice in his tenure as well.
After being let go, Moore wouldn’t be unemployed for more than an hour. For the 2023 season, he would become the OC for the Los Angeles Chargers, according to ESPN. Unfortunately for LA, though, Moore could not have a fifth straight top 10 defense and would finish near the bottom at 21. Even so, some plays that he called did manage to stand out:
Hereâs another:
After the hiring of Jim Harbaugh in 2024, Moore would be allowed to interview with other organizations. On Feb. 5, 2024, he would be hired by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Weâve all seen how good the Eagles offense has been this year, with Saquon Barkley reviving the running back position. In the regular season this year, the Eagles had the eighth-best offense, making it Mooreâs fifth time having a top 10 offense as an OC. My worry here, though, is that the player’s skill could be making his offensive play calling look better than it is.
This year, the Saints experienced a close-up and personal look at him during their week three loss against the Eagles. In the game, Barkley would have 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, and QB Jalen Hurts would complete 29 of 38 passes for 311 yards and one interception. Tight end Dallas Goedert would also eat the Saints defense alive with his 170 receiving yards.
Here was that night’s biggest play, where Jonny Page, a writer for Bleeding Green Nation, gave a shout-out to Moore:
Eagles Offense All22 vs. Saints. 1) This was the Dallas Goedert game. Kellen Moore responded to a lack of receiving talent with some more interesting use of personnel. The Eagles come out in 13 personnel and run PA. It’s sort of like a post-cross concept but Goedert fakes the⊠pic.twitter.com/2WLoVz6LwP
â Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 23, 2024
As of right now, I only feel slightly better about the Saintsâ interest. His play calling in the playoffs is my biggest worry, but heâll make his return to the playoffs on Jan. 12, when the Packers visit Philadelphia on Super Wild Card Weekend. New Orleans is also in need of a culture builder, and I donât think that’s a way you could describe Kellen Moore.
