I have nothing against Choice fans out there. I have heard great things about the kid for a few months now and look forward to seeing him get more time.

But I hope Choice only gets a couple carries on sunday.

The Steelers have too good a rush. These guys will get after you and I don’t want a rookie picking up too many blocks in the game. We saw what happens when Tony gets hurt.

Hopefully you can play this week. Regardless, Dallas needs to sign a another RB -we will need 3 RBs if Dallas plans to make a push into the playoffs.

Ole refugee from the other site here… Fancy set up you boys have…

I heard Davenport got released…

Hey we get a veteran and maybe some intel on the Steelers…

Since we’re talking about Marion, I thought I’d throw out some thoughts I’d been having recently on his workload. Prior to MB3’s injury, I had been getting a bit worried about him. I knew that he was on pace of a career high in carries, and that he had exceeded his total # of carries last season before the Seattle game even started. And I watched the end of that Redskins game, and as great as it was to see him pound the other team into submission, I know that that number of carries can add up on a guy’s body over time.

So I was all set to put together a statistical look at Marion and the Curse of 370, to see if we needed to be concerned for the future, considering we just gave this guy a decent sized extension…

…and then I actually looked at the numbers, and projected the number of touches he’s on pace for this year, and it’s actually not bad at all. Which surprised me, although it might not surprise others.

Marion’s currently got 225 carries. That puts him on pace for 300 on the year, assuming he plays the remaining 4 games. 300 carries is a healthy workload, but it’s one that lots of backs have shouldered over the years without a problem. It’s not a number that terrifies me.

For those unfamiliar with “the Curse of 370” theory developed over at Football Outsiders (one of their ideas which does seem to hold some water), there is a statistical pattern over the last 30+ years of NFL history that shows if an NFL running back logs 370 or more carries (CARRIES, not touches— receptions don’t seem to have the same impact) in a season, his number in the next season will drop SIGNIFICANTLY, and he will most likely miss multiple games to injury. This happens pretty much without exception, unless your name is Eric Dickerson, and the physical rules of mortal beings don’t apply to you. Emmitt Smith is the only other RB to defeat the rule, following up his 373 carry season in 1992 with a 283 carry season in 1993 in which he averaged 5.3 YPA, a career high.

So the good news is that Marion is currently not on pace to join that 370 club this season. Of course, playoff football means more carries, so it is certainly possible Marion could wear his body down further this year, and there is the entirely separate concern of his Eddie George/Earl Campbell running style, which invites multiple hits per run and can lead to a very explosive but very brief career. But overall, I was encouraged after taking a look at the actual numbers on MB3 this season— for all the talk of him rocketing past his previous high in carries and his excessive workload this year, I think Garrett’s actually used him fairly responsibly, as one would hope given the huge investment Jerry has made in the player.

4. Dallas (8-4). I understand the consternation of you who follow "The Fine Fifteen’’ rankings, who set your watches by them, who believe in them the way you believe in everything your mother ever told you. And you wonder how I can be jumping the Cowboys over teams more consistently better. Simple. They’re better than Carolina, better than Tampa Bay, better than Atlanta, better than Washington.

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