Kellen Moore destined to become Lions next head coach?

Could this former Detroit Lions quarterback return to become its newest head coach?

Starting the new season with two straight losses doesn’t bode well for the future of third-year head coach of the Detroit Lions, Matt Patricia. Having amassed just nine total wins over his 34-game tenure in the Motor City, Patricia figures to be on the hottest of hot seats.

On Monday, we published a list of five potential midseason replacements for Patricia. But regardless of who is the head coach of the Lions at season’s end, Detroit is expected to shop the coaching candidate carousal in search of their next franchise leader. That’s if the current regime is unable to make this 0-2 team a playoff contender soon.

One of the names that could intrigue new Lions’ owner Sheila Ford Hamp is Kellen Moore. The former Boise State passer was one of the best quarterbacks in college history. Undersized at 6-foot, 197 pounds, Moore landed in Detroit back in 2012 as an undrafted rookie free agent.

Moore would spend three seasons as a backup to Matthew Stafford before leaving Motown to reunite with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and the Dallas Cowboys. After spending three more years as a backup in Dallas, Moore transitioned to coaching within the organization.

The quarterback coach to Dak Prescott in 2018, Moore was promoted to offensive coordinator last year. As a result, the Cowboys fielded the top offense in the NFL in total yardage, averaging 431.5 yards per game. Their passing game ranked second in the league and their rushing attack was fifth. Despite the stellar numbers, the Cowboys still finished 2019 with a disappointing 8-8 record.

Now entering his second season as the offensive coordinator in Dallas, Moore has a new head coach in Mike McCarthy. The former Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Green Bay Packers figures to elevate his young offensive coordinator’s playcalling abilities to another level.

The Cowboys just put up 570 yards of offense against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, winning a come-from-behind victory on a last-second field goal, 40-39. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 450 yards and a score, plus ran in three rushing touchdowns. That’s never been done in the NFL before in the modern Super Bowl era.

If the Dallas Cowboys’ offense continues on this upward trend, Kellen Moore will undoubtedly be one of the hottest head-coaching candidates in 2021. And as a former teammate of Matthew Stafford’s for three seasons, the 32-year old would appear to be a great fit as the next head coach of the Detroit Lions.