FRISCO, Texas — When the 2020 Cowboys assistant coaches met with the media Wednesday, there was plenty of ground to cover and a lot of talk about what type of mentality they would try to build on this year’s squad.
And there was the requisite coach speak.
“They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” assistant head coach Rob Davis said.
There was even a little humor, thanks to defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.
"If you’ve done your research, I’m not good at these," he said. "I just keep telling myself don’t cuss, don’t cuss, don’t cuss."
Fun enough, but we want answers. And we’ve got these three pressing questions.
1. What will head coach Mike McCarthy’s new offense look like?
“We’ve barely touched the surface, we’re in January still,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said.
Fair enough; it’s still under construction. Coaches are meeting to try and marry McCarthy’s so-called West Coast offensive concepts with a Cowboys offense that was productive last season but can certainly use a boost.
What we do know is Moore will be calling the plays, which was a bit of a surprise, because McCarthy is on record saying the last time he gave up play-calling duties was a mistake.
2. How will the Cowboys use running back Zeke Elliott?
Moore was definitive when trying to dispel the myth that McCarthy’s new offense will be pass-happy.
“It’s a 'get the best players the ball' offense,” said Moore. “Up there they were able to throw the rock a bunch. I don’t see any concern with that. We’ve got a running back that’s good, another one behind him that’s good and we want to get them the ball.”
And then there’s a defensive issue that could pave the way for the most drastic improvement for this team.
3. How will this defense force more turnovers?
“That’s the number one thing in winning football games is getting the ball for your offense,” defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said.
The Cowboys were tied for last in the league with just seven interceptions last season and the defense ranked in the middle of the pack in terms of forcing fumbles.
“Relentless pursuit, you know attacking the ball,” said Tomsula. “I mean you attack the ball. You talk about it, you drill it.”
And Cowboys fans hope it finally happens. Meanwhile, enough of this talk.
These guys have a lot of work to do, and plenty of questions to answer.
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