DALLAS — Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore wasn't calling the plays on Sunday during the Dallas Cowboys' 34-14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars to close out the preseason.
Those duties fell upon quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier. Unlike last week when secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. had to fill in at the last minute for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn – who went into COVID quarantine 90 minutes before kickoff – giving Nussmeier the offensive play sheet was the intention all week.
"I thought Doug [Nussmeier] called a good game," coach Mike McCarthy said. "He was quick with his calls, was assertive; adjustments were clean. I thought Doug did a really good job with communication and just the process, the personnel, doing those things."
Nussmeier has experience as a play-caller when he was an offensive coordinator at the collegiate level. Sunday was his first chance to do so since joining the NFL in 2018 as a member of the Cowboys' coaching staff. The offense produced 14 points, 272 total yards, 16 first downs, and a 4-of-14 third down conversion rate.
"It’s like anything: I wish the results were different," said McCarthy. "But I thought both guys did a really nice job.”
Quarterback Cooper Rush – who completed four passes on eight attempts for 16 yards – said the play-calls weren't necessarily unique, and that it was all about execution.
"Same plays, you know it’s not a whole new offense or anything, so obviously an execution mindset," Rush said. "You know, I think it was a lot of fun."
The Cowboys protected the football and did not have a turnover. Dallas was also 2-2 in the red zone and converted on two of their three fourth down attempts.
Nussmeier's voice has a distinct hoarseness to it, but Rush said the raspiness of Nussmeier's communication didn't bother him, nor did it bother quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who went 9-of-16 for 87 yards and a touchdown.
"I’ve spent so much time with [Nussmeier] on a daily basis, I felt like he had a great feel for me and what type of passes I like, and I thought we got most of those called," Gilbert said. "I felt like I was on the same page as Nuss all day. I was happy for him to get that opportunity.”
The play sheet goes back to Moore, however, as the third-year OC will call the Dallas offense in the team's opener Thursday, Sept. 9, at Raymond James Stadium when they face the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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