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.

While currently coaching for the Eagles, Moore used to be the OC for the Chargers and Cowboys. A young coach, he was also a Cowboy’s quarterback as recently as 2017.

But due to me growing up 40 minutes away from AT&T Stadium, I’m 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.

“Either of the season-ending plays vs. the 49ers,” one said.

Not quite remembering the plays, I went and looked for them. And what I found was a play you’d see in a “Top 10 weird NFL plays” list.

That play would be Moore’s last as the Cowboy’s OC, as, according to ESPN, he and the team mutually agreed to part ways the next week.

However, it seems that my initial thoughts might’ve been a bit too much, because with Moore as OC, the Cowboys averaged a top 10 offense—peaking 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:

Here’s 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.

We’ve 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 Moore’s 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:

As of right now, I only feel slightly better about the Saints’ interest. His play calling in the playoffs is my biggest worry, but he’ll 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 don’t think that's a way you could describe Kellen Moore.