Kellen Moore is in his first year as the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator and has done a great job so far. In the regular season, the Eagles had the league’s second-best run offense (averaging 179.3 rushing yards per game) and the league’s seventh-best scoring offense (averaging 27.2 points per game).
Moore could get a head coaching job after this offseason, and the Dallas Cowboys have already shown interest in him. Dallas sent a request to Philadelphia to interview the offensive coordinator for its vacant head coach position.
Emmanuel Acho, who played two seasons for the Eagles, is not happy with the Cowboys’ interest in Moore as he thinks it could negatively impact the team during the playoffs.
Emmanuel Acho Sounds Off on Cowboys’ Interest in Kellen Moore
The Eagles will play the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round this upcoming week. The Rams’ defense has emerged as one of the best in the league recently (their 88.5 Defense+ grade was not only the best for the Rams this season but also their fourth-best in a game since 2019), and the Eagles will need a solid game plan from Moore to succeed against them.
Acho believes the interview request from the Cowboys can distract the Eagles’ OC, and the team could face a similar situation to the Super Bowl two years ago. He discussed it during a segment on “The Facility.”
“The Eagles lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, I believe, because their defensive coordinator [Jonathan Gannon] and their offensive coordinator [Shane Steichen] were distracted,” Acho said.
Heading into Super Bowl 57, both Gannon and Steichen were conducting head coach interviews while the team was mid-pursuit for a title. Both ultimately accepted roles elsewhere.
“Primarily their defensive coordinator, remember the moment the game ended, Jonathan Gannon goes to take the head coaching job for the Arizona Cardinals. The Kansas City Chiefs simply out-schemed the Eagles; they did not outplay the Eagles, they out-schemed the Eagles.”
Acho further mentioned how the Eagles could have won the Super Bowl if Gannon had been more focused on the game against the Chiefs rather than his upcoming head coaching gig with the Cardinals.
I will be furious if Kellen Moore being distracted by the Cowboys job costs the Eagles.
This same situation literally already cost the Eagles a Super Bowl. Eagles fans know.🤬#FlyEaglesFly
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) January 16, 2025
The Chiefs scored 38 points against the Eagles in that Super Bowl, and a brilliant performance from Jalen Hurts went to waste for the team. Philadelphia’s defense is playing at an elite level in 2024 (second in Defense+ in 2024), and Acho doesn’t want the team’s offense to not take advantage of it against the Rams.
“So, I hate when this stuff occurs,” Acho added. “I do not want Kellen Moore for one second to be distracted against trying to handle Jared Verse and trying to handle the defense of the Los Angeles Rams and end up thinking about the Cowboys job, and thus, the Eagles lose. I hate that it is even within the realm of possibility. Eagles fans, you should know all too well; in my opinion, it has happened before.”
The Rams’ defense limited the Minnesota Vikings’ high-flying offense to nine points in the Wild Card Round. They will pose serious questions to the Eagles’ offense, and only time will tell whether Moore prepares well for the matchup.
Moore Has To Get the Best out of Jalen Hurts To Win vs. Rams
The Eagles won 22-10 against the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round. Philadelphia’s defense was the reason why the team won, as they forced Jordan Love into three interceptions and took advantage of the injuries to Packers receivers.
Hurts wasn’t required to play his best, and he threw for only 131 yards and two touchdowns. However, the Eagles may require their quarterback to step up against the Rams to win the game.
The Rams’ defense sacked Sam Darnold nine times in the previous game, and Moore may need to bring the best out of his quarterback to succeed in the Divisional Round. Hurts has faced criticism for how he has played this season, as people doubted his ability to throw the ball.
Saquon Barkley has been a game-changer for the Eagles, and due to his brilliance, the quarterback hasn’t been asked to do as much in 2024. However, if the star running back fails to impact the game, Hurts may be under immense pressure to perform.
The game against the Rams is huge for both the quarterback and the offensive coordinator, as a poor performance from the offense might reduce Moore’s chances of getting a head coaching job in the near future.
