This weekend, Miami ran a formation with Lousaka Polite, Ricky Williams, and Ronnie Brown in a triangle with the QB under center. It seems like we have the personnel to make this formation dangerous. A power running game with Deon Anderson, Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice in the backfield would be lethal. We could put Felix Jones in the triangle and execute some sweeps and screen passes.

Not to mention we could use the formation as a form of max protect against blitz packages on passing plays. Plus, if we went with a single TE set and split Owens or Williams wide, the opposing defense would be forced to either leave the receiver in single coverage or keep a safety deep and out of run support.

I’d like to think that we would have tried stuff like this if all our RBs were healthy (and not that all the imagination in our offense left for Miami…).

running back and tightend. pretty much set here…

Barber is the starter, why, he’s paid to be that. And lets not get carried away with anointing Choice as so many did with Julius Jones. One season doesn’t make a career.. You need three backs in todays NFL, and all three are locked up for awhile so try to find a balance so each can contribute in their own strengths.

And before some start with the lets trade barber for draft picks, like a first rounder, it’s not going to happen, so forget it….

Barber would start and Barber would finish. Barber would get the first series of every game. I’d sprinkle Felix and Choice in throughout the entire game with emphasis in the second and 3rd quarter. When the game was over I’d hope to have nearly equal carries for all the backs, somewhere in the range of 10 carries a pop. This keeps them fresh and keeps defenses guessing. I’d also use a some Barber or Choice + Felix combos occasionally sending Felix in motion out wide.

All this stubborn “Barber’s our guy” mentality we’ve been seeing is just ridiculous and largely contributes to the offenses struggles.

I’ll beating this drum now until April.

Trading Barber would be the best option. I don’t think Barber is a guy you can count on for too much longer. Get some draft picks to bolster other parts of the team we need more. I would start Choice and sprinkle in a good amount of Jones.

Where’s Switzer? Tex wants to see a return to the run… all the time. A 3-headed monster. The most important story line for 2009 is taking the ball out of Tony Romo’s hands.

Since the slippery-fingered QB started dating that divorced actress – who allegedly cheated on her previous husband with Bam from Jackass fame (real classy) – Romo has put on at least 25 pounds and has lost his fire for football. More often than not, the pear-shaped Romo hasn’t even competed in the big games, and the ball must be taken out of his hands in 2009 and beyond.

Tex has some advice for the best quarterback never to win a playoff game… drop the bimbos, lose the berets, and mix in a salad.

The Cowboys won’t become a running team, it just won’t happen. Garrett believes the offense runs through Romo and will continue to do so.

I never heard the Bam thing, nor have I been checking out Romo’s waist line!! I think those gossip rags are making you crazy, you should stop reading them and focus on football.

Back to football.. start MB because you have the best combo of running and blocking, giving Tex’s favorite QB time to get off some passes and runs. Then, bring on Felix and Choice to give our O some variety and long range striking power, and finish with MB if we have a lead. We know that next year, all DCs are gonna blitz our brains out until we show we can hurt them when they do. Screens and quick passes to Felix and TC for long gainers will slow down the rushers.

The 3 amigos

I’m not sure how it’s the line’s fault, when the other 2 backs on the team average significantly more per carry than Barber.

If it were in spot duty only, I might agree, but Choice did it as the main back, against the toughest defenses in the league. If the line is at fault, then Choice and Jones must be the 2 best running backs in the league, because they had some of the best yards per carry, behind this supposedly inferior line. I think it’s more likely that teams understand more what Barber is and is not capable of. He is a battering ram type back, but is not built in the mold of Bettis, Jacobs, or other power backs. He’s best suited for the role he had when Julius Jones was here, 3rd down, short yardage, and run down the clock.

I think that Choice should be the primary first and second down back through the first 3 quarters, and Barber take over as the 3 down back in the 4th. Jones should be used as a kick returner and mixed in for 5-10 touches per game and as a decoy. That means about 15 carries Choice, 15 carries Barber, and 5 carries Jones. That would also open up the play action passing game, slow down the pass rush, decrease third and long situations, and play to our offensive line’s strengths.

and open things up for tony romo who can tear defenses apart with passing alone if given the time
but with a potential top league running game romo will be even better
look at how good everyone though jason campbell was when clinton portis was healthy and putting up 100+ yds a game
then he gets a slew of injuries, people start stacking the box, jason campbell gets the game on his shoulders and chokes
but with romo we have an amazing running game with barber, jones, and choice
and then we also got nfc’s leader in passer rating in tony romo

With that talented a backfield, someone needs to get Romo to checkdown. Some of the biggest plays for us (e.g. Barber in Arizona) and against us (e.g. Buckhalter last week) were checkdown passes to RB’s.

The way teams seem to beat us – dating back to the playoff loss to the NYG’s – is just to bring heavy pressure. We simply haven’t been able to beat it because Romo is intent on looking downfield for the big play.

All our backs seem to be capable receivers. All 3 are playmakers, whether its MB3 bowling over tacklers, Choice making the first guy miss, or Felix blowing past the D — all have got to scare any D. Romo and Garrett needs to learn to take what the D gives them and not keep looking for the big play.

If we start hurting teams with those checkdowns, then the D will have to respect them and either reduce the pressure and/or bring the safeties up. Then the opportunities for the big plays downfield will really open up.

This team will fizzle if changes in D aren’t made withn next 60 days, these guys are on the brink of imploding. Jones has got to show them/us its not about money or a buddy system, its about the love of the game. This coachng staff doesn’t respect the game or the fans. He needs to step up and and get a guy like ol JJ or get Shannahan to run offense and move Philliips back to defense , or replace him with Cronell ( who i think will light flame under some of these guys holding back and keep it lit) this is no time for on the job trainng for Garret the game has become to balanced and to complicated around the leagues top teams to rely on simple ideas. We have the talent Shannahan can form and direct into the greatest show on earth This offense puts on weight mid season, that is something,that will not happen with him . Were great out the gate , but not much for stamina. Jjones goes one more year like this and thell will be no coming back . And starting over is not an option – here and now – WINNERS MAKE THE HARD OBVIOUS CHOICES ; LOSERS MAKE ALL THE OTHER ONES AND TRY TO IINVENT A FEW OF THEIR OWN

Dont get it twisted.

Felix is a game changer who needs his touches.

Choice is a nice fallback.

But dont get it twisted.

It hurts. It really hurts. To know you have good running backs on your team, yet that aren’t a real factor when it comes to winning games. Why? Definitely not because of they’re talent. Each and every one of them should be big contributors in the outcome of the game.

Do you know why else it hurts? because you read alot of other peoples opinions, and you can see they’re perspective, but they all don’t make a priority out of the most important aspect of winning against any defense you face- Running the ball.

I’m sorry Glory, I disagree about one thing with you (again, respectfully)
Barber isn’t the best back on this team, and niether is Felix Jones. The best back is Tashard Choice. Do you want to know whay I say that? Felix is a specialty Back. Marion is a power back. But it is Tashard whom we can call the all-purpose back. That is more valuable than the others, and do you want to know why? In situations where a defense has to stop you from gaining a yard or two, sometimes a power back can’t get it, where an all-purpose back can most of the time. I, for some reason, feel that Tashard should not be underestimated by you Glory or any other fan, since at the end of the Game, we do want to wear an opponent down with Barber, and he will win the game for us by running hard and protecting the ball and the lead. But a back like Tashard will make the defenses respect the run differently than even someone like Felix Jones. I wish there was some way to play Tashard out there at the same time with Barber, or Felix. How about Barber out their with Felix at the same time? These kind of Cowboy “Wildcat” formations haven’t been utilized or practiced enough to even make a defense worry about formations like that, so thus we must admit that offensively, we are limited by ourselves. Garrett is just too pass orientated.

I believe Choice and Jones are better than Barber, and going into their respective draft classes…the scouts did as well………I was upset we ever extended Barber, not that i disliked him, I love his power game, and his brutal attack modes, but i knew it would cause this log jam, and we can really use upgrades at other positions, and would have benefitted from trading Barber….cuz I KNEW the two rookies would prove their worth, their skills, and their capabilities to our two backs for the future…I have no clue what’s going to happen in the near future….but i am pretty sure Barber will be gone before Choice’s and Jones’s contracts are up…….

1. Don’t be predictable.

2. Felix can’t be the feature back and return kicks.

3. Barber should be used in the red zone, and late in the games, where his value is highest.

4. There should be an open competition in training camp.

However, the way it should shake out is Choice starting, Jones as the change of pace back, and Barber in the red zone, and finishing games. Here’s the problem: Getting the Cowboys coaching staff to do what makes sense takes an act of Congress.

Choice might end up being the lead back, with Felix getting a lot more carries.

He may try to move Barber.

If Garrett kept calling those lame dinky screen passes to T.O. and Roy yet didn’t bother to draw up any swing passes or screens for Felix.

Good third string RBs are a luxury.

We have bonafide NEEDS in other places.