Using 3 Talented Runners... Look at 1980

by JimmyJohnson on Aug 18, 2009 10:15 PM CDT

I was just watching the 1980 Divisional Playoff with the Falcons. I had forgotten the quality and depth of runners we had that year. We wonder how to split carries between MBIII, Felix, and Choice today. But the Cowboys of 1980 had:

Tony Dorsett (A top 5 all-time rusher)

Preston Pearson (The Man who defined the position of 3rd down back)

Robert Newhouse (A power runner who struck fear into opposing tacklers)

Ron Springs AND Timmy Newsome (Great runners in their own right who could have started for almost any other team).

If the 1980 cowboys could find a way to get all 5 of these guys on the field (and still maintain a record-setting passing game), there has to be a way to use all 3 of our talented backs.

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Nice post JJ, I had forgotten Preston played some rb too.

I remember that season though. I was 10, already a seasoned fan of several years, and wanted nothing more than for my pokes to get back to their third sb in a row and massacre those accursed steelers. But, alas, those fargin iggles beat em the next wk.
Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane and I totally agree that the ’boys should be able to utilize their phenomenal stable of rbs this season. Remember the gnats sb season 2 years back, their 3-headed rb attack played a huge role in getting them there.

by cypher on Aug 18, 2009 10:57 PM CDT reply actions

What a fantastic game

and a great season 1980 was, despite the loss in the NFC Champ game. Such high scoring, Danny White kicks butt his first year as a starter, two great playoff wins, almost winning the NFC East. And yes, they had an excellent stable of running backs. Still not as good as their backfield in 1970-71 – Duane Thomas, Calvin Hill, Walt Garrison and even Dan Reeves made some contributions.

Good post.

by DavidH22 on Aug 19, 2009 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Here are their stats, I think.

I don’t think it happened quite the way you remembered it. At least not with those 3 backs. Preston Pearson hardly had any carries that year.

Passing, they had about 32 pass plays called per game, which I got by adding sacks and rush attempts by the QBs to the total pass attempts. They averaged about 210 yards per game passing, which doesn’t include sacks or runs by the QB.

They ran about 35 times per game, not including QB runs, with Dorsett getting about 17, Newhouse getting about 7, and Ron Springs getting about 6.

Dallas threw about 38 times per game last year, and ran about 23. In 2007, they had about 37 pass attempts per game and ran about 24. So I think 61 is going to be about the average plays again this year. There are less plays per game now due to the clock not stopping when you go out of bounds as often as it did back then, I’m guessing.

Anyway, with 61 plays, I’m hoping to see about 28 called run plays per game and 33 called pass plays per game. By the end of the year, I’d like to see that shake out to around 12 per game each for Barber and Jones, and 4 per game for Choice. I think that would give us about 1,200 yds for Jones, 800 for Barber, and 320 for Choice. And about 3,800 yards passing for Romo.

by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 19, 2009 1:22 AM CDT reply actions

Maybe a few more plays.

I think if you run more, you have more plays per game, so there might be a couple more carries per game for Choice in there. Let’s call it 64 plays, 31 rushing, and give choice 6 carries per game and 480 yds on the year. Then the other 16 runs for the year can be mixed between the 3 backs, end arounds, etc.

by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 19, 2009 1:27 AM CDT up reply actions

I hate the idea of using 3 backs.

I don’t see how any of them will be able to get into a rhythm during a game, which is very important for a running back. I mean look at what the Titans did last year. Felix Jones is just as good as Chris Johnson and there is no reason we can’t use him just like the Titans did. Barber is like Lendale White, except much more talented. The sky is the limit for what Jones and Barber could do this season.

The odd man out is Choice, but that’s ok. We need him to be fresh late in the year, in case either Jones or Barber gets injured.

by DoomsdayD75 on Aug 19, 2009 10:47 AM CDT reply actions

Jones' yards

Are directly effected by the amount of runs and yards Barber is getting. Say we manage 35 runs a game because of ball control. If I was calling the runs, here’s the breakdown:

1st quarter: barber gets 2/3s of runs, jones gets 1/3
2nd quarter: jones gets 2/3s of runs, barber gets 1/3
3rd quarter: choice gets 2/3s of runs, jones gets 1/3
4th quarter: barber goes in fresh for the last 15 minutes.

Obviously, certain situations call for certain players. Goal line, wildcat, reverses, etc.
So my estimate on carries and yards are:
Barber: 18 carries a game, 1300 yards in 16 games
Jones: 11 carries a game, 950 yards in 16 games
Choice: 6 carries a game, 530 yards in 16 games.
That’s 2780 rushing yards a season. And if Romo is back to his 07 numbers, we could be a top 5 offense easily.
Your thoughts?

by Alexcomestokill on Aug 19, 2009 11:08 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

You can't run like that and put up 2007 passing numbers.

If we run 35 times a game, you’re probably looking at about 27 pass plays per game, so, 24 or 25 actual pass attempts per game. At about 8 yards per attempt, you’re looking at about 3,200 passing yards for Romo.

I also don’t see Barber putting up 4.5 ypc on 18 carries per game, and Choice probably won’t get 5.5 ypc, either.

I really hope that Felix is basically the starter and Barber the closer, with Choice as a guy who gives them both breathers.

by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 19, 2009 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions

It would be similar to the 90s Cowboys

I’m not knocking your theory, just saying that it might not be quite as many yards as you’re hoping for, but still top 5. Really though, if Romo hadn’t been hurt those 3 games last year, we’re probably top 5 in 2008, not to mention already in the playoffs by the Philadelphia game.

by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 19, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions

In 07

Barber put up 5.6 a carry. That was on limited snaps. So 4.5 was my justification. I also don’t see Felix putting up 8.7 a Carry like last year. Not without barber getting the majority of the snaps and Felix getting 4 a game, and no one wants that.
I say romo puts up 3,800 yds. That’s just me

by Alexcomestokill on Aug 19, 2009 12:21 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Are you sure?

According to NFL.com, Barber put up 4.8 ypc in 2007. Last year, when his workload went up, he put up 3.7 ypc. Teams are doing better at tackling him now, too, since they are know what to expect more and they have changed the rules to prevent him from clubbing defenders as he runs. I think 4.0 would be good, especially given the short yardage situations where he will likely be featured.

I just don’t think that the Cowboys can run that much AND have Romo put up numbers like that. I would love to see it, though.

by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 19, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions

My bad

I was looking at old btb post and that’s what it said. But jones doesn’t out run barber. Just don’t see it happening.

by Alexcomestokill on Aug 19, 2009 12:46 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

You don't think Felix SHOULD get the majority of the carries....

…..Or simply that the scarlet nimrod won’t utilize him properly? Because the notion that he’s a teeny tiny slight slotback like Reggie Bush has been squashed many times. He’s built much sturdier than that. Now I’m not a psychic so I can’t you whether he’ll turn out to be a fragile thoroughbred that hardly ever gets out of the stable or not. If Chris Johnson can handle 300 touches, so can Felix.

by MadMick on Aug 19, 2009 1:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Missed a word; can't TELL you

by MadMick on Aug 19, 2009 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions

The Raiders announcers said he was 220.

Even though he’s listed at 212. I wonder if they’re right, because that’s pretty big, especially for how quick he is.

I think Deion Sanders was actually saying last year that if the Cowboys were serious about being a running team then Felix should be the starter and Barber should go back to his role that he had when Julius Jones was on the team. That was prior to Felix’s injury, though.

by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 19, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah. I caught that too.

Who knows? I believe that Faulk at his peak (and fastest) dropped about 10 pounds from when he originally entered the league and went about 205. But if they’re serious about committing to running Felix inside often, packing on a few more pounds of muscle makes sense.

As for workloads, an almost dead even split between Barber and Jones would work fine. The Giants get plenty of bang for their buck with Jacobs giving him right around 200 carries. Also, just because (if) Felix is the featured back doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be games where Barber’s more bruising hard-nosed style isn’t the best approach. Besides the ‘Skins Sunday Nighter, my favorite game of Barber’s all last year was the Monday Nighter against the Eagles. He didn’t put up any glossy numbers but he came up huge when he had to in a game where the rushing yards weren’t going to come easy in the least.

As far as Choice being the low man on the totem pole goes, if the Cowboys handle their business against certain stank ass teams like the Chiefs and Broncos that’s at least two games Choice will probably have the whole 2nd half to himself.

by MadMick on Aug 19, 2009 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions

I think the rushing numbers are a little too high

I just don’t think there’s any way we run the ball 35 times a game. I could see something like 15 carries for Barber, 8 for Felix (not including receptions of course), and 6 for Choice a game. I have a feeling Felix and Choice will have about the same amount of carries a game, but I expect Felix to be in the game a lot more as a slot reciever or in the wildcat.
If we could manage to produce that many rushing yards, I don’t know how we wouldn’t be the number 1 offense.

by jointman13 on Aug 19, 2009 12:02 PM CDT reply actions