The Cowboys have an offensive-minded head coach in Jason Garrett and an offensive coordinator in Bill Callahan, but it’s passing game coordinator Scott Linehan who’s running the offense in Dallas.
Linehan led all the offensive meetings throughout the spring, Albert Breer of NFL Network reports. That fact confirms the widespread belief that while Garrett is Linehan’s boss and Callahan is technically above Linehan on the organizational flow chart, it’s Linehan who is making the decisions on the Cowboys’ offense.
So what will a Linehan-run offense in Dallas look like? It will probably feature more passing than Cowboys fans are accustomed to seeing. During Linehan’s previous job, as the offensive coordinator in Detroit, the Lions were always among the league leaders in pass attempts. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has averaged more than 42 passes a game the last three seasons, while Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has averaged only 36 passes a game the last three seasons. With Linehan calling the shots, Romo should expect to throw more.
If Linehan’s offense can get the Cowboys out of their 8-8 rut and into the playoffs, the decision to bring him on board will be hailed as a wise move in Dallas. If the Cowboys go in the other direction, Linehan, Garrett and Callahan will all likely be looking for new jobs.