Cowboys Running Back Depth Chart Poll
by Lord Humungus on Dec 7, 2009 8:00 AM CST
21 comments
Knee-jerk alert!! But after Barber's game against the Giants, a little arm-chair offensive coordinating is in order. Barber hasn't been the same player since partially tearing his quad, and Felix is just starting to look like his old self again. Never mind the argument, "Why the heck are they even playing if they aren't 100%??", that's up to the coaches, who will likely be joining the 10.2% of the United States in the unemployment line should the Cowboys not win a playoff game this year.
The Cowboys face a unique problem in that all 3 of their running backs are potential starters. What would you do going into the San Diego game?
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Tashard Choice needs to see the field a lot more. In the past 7 games, he has 16 carries – That’s just plain stupidity. He’s too good and too versatile to be getting 3 carries per game. But here’s the problem… Marion Barber signed a 7 year, $45 million contract last offseason. If Jerry Jones signs you to a big contract, you’re not losing playing time.
Tashard Choice
will change this offense and make it lethal.
What good will it do if he’s put in there, gets a big run, then sits the rest of the game? Garrett is behind that. After Tashard is traded, gets 1500 yards rushing for the other team, only then will the Cowboys look at the player evaluation done on the offense by Garrett.
"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"
Yeah
I’m sure defensive coordinators were laughing last year at the end of the year at Tashard’s stats. I’m glad you find that funny. How about looking at Barber’s and Felix’s stats in this Giants game if you really want to laugh?
"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"
by DallasPalace on Dec 8, 2009 11:14 AM CST up reply actions
I'd go with an option that isn't anywhere on there
Barber should still be starting, but less reps in the first half. He can start the game and finish it in the 4th quarter like he does best.
Between that, sprinkle in Felix and then a little bit of Choice.
When all healthy, I believe that Felix
should be first string with Barber as the change-up and the closer. Choice meanwhile should continue with the Razorback (although Felix has to get some use in it at some point) and as the third down back.
With that said, I think Barber is not at full strength at this point. His quad continually seems to be giving him problems as it seems that he searches for a gear that isn’t currently there. Therefore, I currently think that Felix should be the main back, Choice should be the change-up and then have Barber as a possible passing downs guy due to his great pass protection abilities.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
yes!
Start Felix! ive had him on my fantasy team all year, juss praying that he’ll have a break out game. but to this point, no success. im strongly considering starting jamaal charles over him? lol
but i do like barber in passing situations. whether blocking or in routes. seems to me to be very effective! (except on 4th downs when he stops his route short of the 1st down)
by howboutdemcowboyz on Dec 8, 2009 2:07 AM CST up reply actions
My opinion.....
I chose option number 6: Choice starts with Felix behind him and Marion on short-yardage. I know that Marion has a $40 million+ contract, but we have to do what is best for the team.
Choice is better when he gets more carries or runs on consecutive plays. I believe that he is our best runner and barely gets his chance to shine. I know he runs the razorback but we don’t even run that a whole lot. Against the Raiders, we ran it succesfully. Yesterday, two carries for three yards….. I mean, c’mon, really??
Felix seems to be hesitant to hit the hole, but whether it seems like it or not, he is our homerun threat.
And with Marion, he just does NOT run with the same intensity as he used to. He used to lower his head and run people over to gain extra yards. Nowadays, he just doesn’t deliver any blows like he used to. And it seems like he goes down way too easy. If anybody hits his legs, he is flying through the air and going down.
So with all of that said, I think Choice is our best option at this point. I hate the fact that he only gets a couple of carries a game. Jason Garrett has to spread the ball around to the running backs as well as the WR’s. We do that good. Just not in the running game.
We’ll see what happens……..
There is no option for a healthy mix...
Or are we assuming that any option other than the current one would be better?
I’d like to see Felix get some more carries on first down, just as I’d like to see TChoice get more carries on first down (Or on any down, for that matter…).
My dream scenario for our backs/gameplan would be this:
1. Start the game with Barber, grind out a nice long drive and score a TD after 10-14 plays, and 7-8 minutes off the clock.
2. Once our defense forces a turnover, go with a nice healthy mix of Felix tosses, and Choice off tackle.
3. Now that the opposing defense is keying on stopping the run, hit them with play action and Miles Austin double moves for a quick strike TD.
4. Repeat steps 2-4.
5. Repeat step 4, until the fourth quarter.
6. Bring back MBIII for the 4th quarter and drop the hammer with punishing run after punishing run, sapping the game clock, and ending another convincing Cowboys victory.
The problem?
This never happens, though it sure seems we have the personnel for it.
It'd be nice TKO, but...
we’re not talking about the same Barber anymore now. Maybe if he sits the bench a little bit, it will re-dedicate him. But the truth is, even last year, I had my doubts with him. Our three headed monster is really a two headed one. Too bad, because MB3 was an animal. I pray he becomes the old Barber again. Tashard has already proven an effective runner, and Felix should be out there at the same time with Tashard- that is, if you want to give defenses fits. Did anyone see the zest and fire Tashard was showing when blocking for Romo against the Giants the limited times he was in there? i’m tellin you, He is a hungry running back. He needs reps though, to get into the flow of a game.
"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"
I said this on another thread
I would dump MB3 salary next year if its an uncapped year..sorry, but Barber is not worth 8 mil dollars a year for what we are getting….use that money on another position and go out and draft a 4th round RB to be the #3….
"Austin made the play, Austin saved the day" Brad Sham
you know whats really funny about this post
The starting rotation or whoever plays or comes in whenever means absolutely nothing without the OL blocking well.
If they don’t start pushing the defense around we could rotate Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders in their primes and we would end up the same 2 yard average.
In Romo we Trust
I thought you'd appreciate option 7
You’re right, though I think Choice, who is much better in tight quarters, could squeeze through the minuscule holes the line has been creating better than Barber. He reminded me a lot of Julius Jones, running into the backs of his linemen when a cutback lane was clearly visible.
Greetings from the Humungus, the Ruler of the Wasteland, the Ayatollah of Rock and Roll-A. I laugh at your puny plans.
by Lord Humungus on Dec 8, 2009 8:18 AM CST up reply actions
Your opinion is already known Terry
Well, obviously, even if we are a good passing team, that’s not enough apparantly. Maybe you have a hard time accepting that, I don’t know. doesn’t it bother you at all that the passing game itself that we have doesn’t get the job done?
All your gonna keep saying is that whoever the runningback is, it’s not gonna matter, because we are a passing team.
Now your saying that the offensive line can’t block. I hardly believe that they all of sudden, because of bad performance in the 2nd half of the giants game, they became that way. Maybe it’s hard for you to accept that possibly, because we don’t use the right RB, as well as not run enough, that the offensive line doesn’t get enough reps and gets into a rythym run blocking.
Wasn’t our running game supposed to be one of the best? I believe it still is.
Maybe what doctor’s say is some good wisdom for you…
“Use it or loose it”
Well, obviously, even if we are a good passing team, that’s not enough apparantly. Maybe you have a hard time accepting that, I don’t know. doesn’t it bother you at all that the passing game itself that we have doesn’t get the job done?
"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"
by DallasPalace on Dec 8, 2009 11:00 AM CST up reply actions
Sorry for the double post in there Terry,
But I think you understand my point. After all, I am only saying this from the reality of wanting the team to play better. Isn’t that waht we all want?
"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"
by DallasPalace on Dec 8, 2009 11:04 AM CST up reply actions
It doesn't matter
who you have running if the defense is selling out on the run every down. They had eight in the box the entire game. The Giants were run blitzing like crazy because they saw the week before that their safties couldn’t cover. Five guys can’t block seven or eitght guys. Did anyone notice that there was single coverage on virtually every ball to a WR? Witten had over 150 yds receiving because he had a LB covering him most of the time and we know that won’t work. Our only choice was to do what we did and that was throw the ball.
I'm not disputing that Jevan's
and you are probably right. But, that doesn’t change the reality of what Barber is like, and that delay/draw up the middle is not all there is to a running game.
Let me ask you a question Jevan’s- what would you do about Barber and Folk right now?
Myself, i would bench both of them. I think that is what Jimmy Johnson (and Bill Parcells) would do. Let’s see what Garrett does (Wade can’t come into the conversation, can he?)
"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"
by DallasPalace on Dec 8, 2009 11:09 AM CST up reply actions
We have 3 good backs..
but none of them are going to succeed if 80% of our running plays are the blatantly predictable delay/draw up the middle Garrett’s so fond of.
Well said
"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"
by DallasPalace on Dec 8, 2009 11:01 AM CST up reply actions
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