On Felix Jones: Give the Cat the Lion's Share
by Rafael Vela on Jan 13, 2010 3:43 PM CST
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PrintBack the the go-go '90s, Cowboys' sage Nate Newton described the atmosphere in a huddle during a tense game: Michael Irvin was his loquacious self, proclaiming his invincibility and demanding the ball. Troy Aikman was curt and cutting, insisting on focus and deference. In the center of it all, according to Newton, stood Emmitt Smith, wide eyed and silent, "like a panther."
The Cowboys again appear to have found that big running back cat who can stalk a defense and then pounce at the key time. Felix Jones' 73-yard run late in the 3rd quarter last week finished a limping Eagles defense, and moved Dallas into the divisional round for the second time since they faced Carolina in January 1997.
Jones has overcome a knee sprain which shelved him for two game at mid-season, and which caused more than a few observers to question his durability and value. Jones is giving Cowboys fans their first extended view of his skills. For the last month, Jones has seen his workload increase, to the point where he can be considered the feature back in Dallas' running back rotation. He has topped 10 carries in every game since the Chargers loss and is edging closer to getting 20 touches a game from scrimmage.
Jones' long-run speed makes him the essential element in the Cowboys rushing attack and leaves for debate which which power back should complement him? Consider how the Cowboys missed Felix' explosiveness mid-season. He sprained a medial collateral ligament at the end of a big run in the Carolina game and missed the next two games. Jones resumed play after the week six bye, but wore a knee brace which curtailed his shake. He carried the ball just 33 times in his first five games back.
Jones dropped the brace Thanksgiving week and raced through the Raiders on a 49 yard touchdown. The explosive runs he demonstrated in the September games against New York and Carolina, where Dallas posted back-to-back team rushing totals over 200 yards, resumed.
Dallas' Ground Attack 2009
- 10 games with a healthy Felix Jones: 156 rushing yards per game
- 7 games with a missing or brace-encumbered Jones: 106 rushing yards per game
That's a healthy 47% improvement with a healthy, brace-free Felix in the lineup.
The team now had the confidence that Jones won't break, and has increased his work load. Jones has carried ten or more times in each of the last five games, and is averaging 15 touches and 96 yards from scrimmage. Not bad for a rotation guy, though I wonder how much Felix will rotate on par with Marion Barber or Tashard Choice, with a production curve that's rising as quickly as his:
- vs. Chargers - 11 touches, 53 yards from scrimmage, 15% of total offensive yards;
- vs. Saints -- 15 touches, 68 yfs. 15% of offensive yds.;
- vs. Redskins -- 14 touches, 85 yfs., 22% of offensive yds.;
- vs. Eagles -- 16 touches, 94 yfs., 20% of offensive yds.;
- vs. Eagles -- 17 touches, 178 yfs., 42% of offensive yds.
16 touches seems to be the sound barrier for Felix Jones. Get him to 17 or higher and defenders can't hear him until he's five yards past them.
The Cowboys hope they have a three-game season in front of them. I know who I want getting the lion's share of running backs touches in those remaining games -- the biggest cat of them all, Felix Jones
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I agree Raf
The Cat is a very special back and we need to get the ball in his hands as much as possible.
The kid has the ability to carry a team if need be, but since we’re a passing team he is the ultimate complement to our great passing game.
I see big things from him in this 3 game season as you put it.
In Romo we Trust
Look at last week
The Eagles blitzed hard. Barber played one series.
Romo threw 27 times in the first half, when Felix played almost all the downs
They sacked him once, on a bootleg run away from Felix.
Let’s put it this way, I didn’t see any problems. Teams fear Jones as a receiving weapon. and Dallas would be nuts to keep him in to block all the time.
Plus the Vikings are not a blitz heavy team. They rely more on their front four to get to the QB.
He's a big part of our blitz defense package
I love how we have learned to beat the blitz. Part of it is the screens to the receivers and slants that go for 40 yards. But another part is that if we run a screen to Felix and you bring 6 or more, good luck trying to bring him down with a skeleton crew back there. While a while timed screen against a blitz by anyone will almost always get you 20 yards, if Felix catches the ball you’re probably looking at 40 or 50 and possibly a TD.
Check out my movie - StandardsOfEthicalConduct.com
by cowboysuberfan on Jan 13, 2010 4:42 PM CST up reply actions
One game season
Everyone, especially the players, should realize that this isn’t really a 3 game season, it’s a 1 game season. Lose and you’re out. Nobody should get caught talking about further rounds in the playoffs until we actually get there.
I dont see how Raf stating that the players want 3 more games
will negatively affect the Cowboys’ play on Sunday.
Believe
by aussie_cowboy on Jan 14, 2010 1:13 AM CST up reply actions
That's right jruss.
Today, is the day to define the rest of your life. If you fail today, what you do tommorrow does not matter. That is the speech Wade needs to give Sunday.
Texas: Where God goes to relax.
Unless he's watching the Cowboys.
Nice Job Raf
Start Barber if healthy
then bring in The Big Cat with a little mix in of
Choice
Barber just finishes the games so good when healthy i would hate to give that up, but Felix is and should be the RB with the most PT at this time.
I like the way the 'boys are rotating their backs at the current time.
Go with the hot hand.
I do have to admit Felix will make it hard for anyone to make a case against him to not get a majority of the snaps.
is anyone still concerned that he might be a little 'fragile?'
i seem to remember someone on here calling him Mr. Glass?
i’m all for him being the feature back.
but can we get him off of kick returns? he’s awesome, but it seems like returns are just not his forte (healthy or no)
Right after the game, say as little as possible.
-Tom Landry
they have a good KR in Ogletree....
He needs to spell Felix on some of the KRs
Is Ogletree a good KR?
I don’t know whether he is or isn’t, haven’t seen enough evidence to say either way.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Jan 13, 2010 8:12 PM CST up reply actions
I'm not at all
Players get hurt, it happens. Austin was considered fragile as well and he’s been healthy all season.
Sometimes injuries happen in bunches during the course of a players career, doesn’t necessarily mean a player is injury prone.
In Romo we Trust
good point.
man, i hope the injuries are just incidental.
can you imagine this team with a consistently healthy Felix?!
Right after the game, say as little as possible.
-Tom Landry
by Chim Richolds on Jan 13, 2010 4:23 PM CST up reply actions
Ogletree seems like a tough nut
I’d like to see him back there returning kicks. He was blazing fast on the bubble screen that was called back due to Witten’s penalty.
"Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends."
by DatNguyenNguyenScenario on Jan 13, 2010 5:01 PM CST up reply actions
+10
don’t you get the feeling we haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg with Ogletree?
Right after the game, say as little as possible.
-Tom Landry
by Chim Richolds on Jan 13, 2010 5:08 PM CST up reply actions
At this time in Austin's rookie year,
Who has farther progressed through the season? Did we talk about Austin the way we talk about Ogletree? When does he break into the starting line up? And is this Sam Hurd’s final year?
by Alexcomestokill on Jan 13, 2010 9:29 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Statistically Austin had a goose egg his rookie year
although hye had Owens, Glenn and Crayton ahead of him…that trio combined for like 190 catches for 2700 yards and 23 TDs! Even Hurd saw some decent playing time in 2006, and caught Romo’s first ever NFL pass. But Austin was relegated mostly to KO returns.
Love his speed and quickness
but boy I cringe at any player who leads with his head. We all have seen our fair share of NFL careers cut short because of it.
by spadesking131313 on Jan 13, 2010 9:21 PM CST up reply actions
I like him, because he is good in traffic.
Defenders seem to loose the tree for the forrest.
Texas: Where God goes to relax.
Unless he's watching the Cowboys.
but it seems like returns are just not his forte (healthy or no)
?
He had a TD return against the Eagles last year.
He has two 40 yard returns in the Chargers game. He’s been very close to breaking one the last few games.
His blocking has been a mess, in part because the rules changed this year and Decamillis has been experimenting with returns, but he was one of the best returners in college history. He’s still the best KR on this team.
he has had some big returns
but i seem to remember a lot more returns where he looks uncomfortable- or at least gets nowhere near his normal burst of speed that we see on runs.
am i the only one that’s noticed that/had that feeling?
Right after the game, say as little as possible.
-Tom Landry
by Chim Richolds on Jan 14, 2010 1:02 AM CST up reply actions
Actually I heard it was Mr A$$
Cuz by the time the defense finds him, that’s all they see … 8-)
[/sarcasm]
Congratulations Bob Hayes
"I played for the world's greatest professional sports team in history. Once a Dallas Cowboy, always a Dallas Cowboy." - Bob Hayes
by Raul Villaronga on Jan 13, 2010 8:29 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
He was an All-American kick returner
Trust me he can return kicks the blocking just hasn’t been good enough
Yep...
but Felix wasn’t on the team then.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Jan 13, 2010 4:16 PM CST up reply actions
still, it isn't "the first time since they faced Carolina in January 1997." Right?
The Cowboys again appear to have found that big running back cat who can stalk a defense and then pounce at the key time. Felix Jones’ 73-yard run late in the 3rd quarter last week finished a limping Eagles defense, and moved Dallas into the divisional round for the first time since they faced Carolina in January 1997.
by bulldog jeeper on Jan 13, 2010 4:20 PM CST up reply actions
Aaaaaah
yes didn’t catch that.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Jan 13, 2010 4:48 PM CST up reply actions
its the first time they moved to the divisional round with a wildcard win...
maybe thats what he meant?
I liked this...
“16 touches seems to be the sound barrier for Felix Jones. Get him to 17 or higher and defenders can’t hear him until he’s five yards past them.”
Good stuff Raf..
"What the hell is going on out there?" - Vince Lombardi.
Plus we have Gurode and Davis.
Big strong DT’s fit right up their alley.
Look at the Vikings run D and the Cowboys run D
there’s ten FEET of difference per game between them.
The Eagles are a smaller front but Dallas ran on them. Dallas has lots of practice facing 4-3 teams. The draw might not work as well this week but the counters should.
Vikings Run D stats are better than their current defense actually is
Their run defense has been league average since MLB EJ Henderson went down. They are living off an early season reputation to a certain extent.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
On a seperate note, and I don't mean to hijack this post,
but the media seems to be handing this game to the Cowboys. I don’t like it.
This is the typw of thing that can motivate the opposite team to overachieve.
And this is the type of hype that the Cowboys could not live up to in the past.
I've been concerned about that too...
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys: 1 down 3 to go
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
by gee-roj on Jan 13, 2010 5:32 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Pulls at hair.....
Why…why….why?
Most of the media picked them to win last week too, and picked them to beat Washington….
It’s the playoffs, every game is you get beat and you are done. Looking for things to worry about is silly.
If they get beat, they get beat, not because they overlooked the Vikings.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Jan 13, 2010 8:16 PM CST up reply actions
one thing that's very unusual.............
when’s the last time that only one team from the NFC East is left? Kinda strange when you think about the 4 teams left in the NFC-Arizona, Vikings, Saints, and Cowboys. Except for the Cowboys, who would have thought these would be the last teams to stand? I sure wouldn’t have thought so would you? I mean it’s very rare to not have at least Philly or the Giants still in there.
That's because...
generally the East gets one of the bye’s.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Jan 13, 2010 10:43 PM CST up reply actions
that's true and
the East doesn’t normally play back to back like we just did. It’s just an unusual year imo. I honestly don’t dislike any of the NFC teams that are left. Of course I want us to win out, but if we don’t I will probably root for one of the remaining teams in the Super Bowl.
We can't all be in the NFC South or West.
Look at the Conferences with two teams in the playoffs to find the strong divisions. If the Giants hadn’t rolled over and the Pack hadn’t found it’s second half of the season mojo, we could have had 3 reps from the East.
Texas: Where God goes to relax.
Unless he's watching the Cowboys.
The four division winners
Not that strange considering two East teams were matched up in the WIldcard round.
Believe
by aussie_cowboy on Jan 14, 2010 1:17 AM CST up reply actions
well, it has only happened 3 times since the year 2000
2008 had both NYG and PHI in the divisional round of the playoffs, they played each other and PHI won 23-11
2007 had both DAL and NYG in the divisional round and they played each other: NYG won 21-17
2000 had both NYG and PHI in the divisional round and they played each other: NYG won 20-10
I wouldn’t really say that it is VERY UNUSUAL
+1
Professional athletes do not need the media to motivate them during the playoffs.
Believe
by aussie_cowboy on Jan 14, 2010 1:17 AM CST up reply actions
As long as the Cowboys don't buy (or listen to) the hype...
it’s all good. I think they’re smart enough to know… they didn’t listen to the mediots when they were downing us… find it hard to believe they’d believe their schtick now.
by Road Warrior on Jan 13, 2010 6:03 PM CST up reply actions
If the Cowboys haven't learned by now
not to eat the cheese, they won’t this year. These guys are hungry because they can taste the fact they are one game from getting to the NFC Championship and anything can happen in that game and you can end up in the Super Bowl. Don’t you think guys like Brooking, like DeMarcus want this game badly? Do you think DeMarcus would allow that after basically risking his life to come back and play against the Saints? Good grief, folks. Get a grip.
"Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends."
by DatNguyenNguyenScenario on Jan 13, 2010 6:23 PM CST up reply actions
Saw a vid byte today of Brooking
And he was saying if they don’t win this game against the Vikes everything they’ve done this year has been for naught, a waste of time.
The tribulations of Winter...
90% of Americans say 'OH SHIT!' before going into the ditch on a slippery road.
The other 10% are from TEXAS and they say, 'HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS!!!'
history my friend.
It happened all last year. The Greenbay game this year. It happens with our team. I hope they have grown up as well. I actually think that they have. But……..we’ll see.
I guess this is my test.
If they show up for this game win or lose they have taken the next step in my book.
I'm sure you were saying that
about the Saints game, the Redskins game, and BOTH Eagles games, right? They could lose and play well. It could happen.
"Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends."
by DatNguyenNguyenScenario on Jan 13, 2010 11:13 PM CST up reply actions
Couldn't they taste it in 2007.
Can’t Minn taste it too.
KICK ASS every day!!!
by squidlo97 on Jan 14, 2010 10:53 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
what can the players do about the press?
Seriously, what can they do? Worry more? Crawl into a fetal position and clutch beads?
What the press thinks doesn’t matter.
So why on earth
Do you guys keep linking to it, Raf? Sheesh.
I posted before the season that we should start Felix Jones
The “cat” puts the explosion element in the running game at a level that MBIII and Choice cannot match. Plus, he’s been spared the wear and tear, so he should be ready for a 3-game romp. Just look at Chris Johnson, whose thinner I think than Felix.
I’d be starting Felix and using the other guys to give him a blow.
Agreed.
I prefer the distribution that they had last week with maybe a little more (when healthy) Barber to start the 4th.
You’re the Best! Around! Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down...
You’re the Best! Around! Nothing’s gonna ever keep you dow-ow-ow-own!
by Aaron Novinger on Jan 13, 2010 6:18 PM CST up reply actions
I hope Dallas is far enough ahead,
that Buehler can clean up in the 4th.
Texas: Where God goes to relax.
Unless he's watching the Cowboys.
+1 Agree
Its good to have 2 good backs. Its really that simple.
Felix 15-20 touches is ideal to me too. He is definately the most explosive back the Boys have, and missed more than the other two when injured. Barber, when healthy should get a similar share. When they are all good to go, Choice is clearly our 3rd down guy and the “razorback” RB.
I like the mix Garrett has created … and love having all 3 healthy.
by spadesking131313 on Jan 13, 2010 8:01 PM CST up reply actions
I like
“El Gato.” (He is playing in Texas after all.)
"Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends."
by DatNguyenNguyenScenario on Jan 13, 2010 6:24 PM CST up reply actions
+1000 for El Gato!
that’s the coolest nick I’ve ever heard, cereberal and stylish…plus he’s like, catlike, man…
I have noticed a new resurgence in Cowboy hating in 2007, which can only mean one thing- We're back.
The Chargers loss in week 14 has truly been a turning point for this team
[Jones] has topped 10 carries in every game since the Chargers loss and is edging closer to getting 20 touches a game from scrimmage. As per Raf
Going into the New Orleans game, the Cowboys converted 62 of 161 3rd Downs (38.5%). Since then, they are 29 of 57 for a stunning 50.8%! Almost half of the total number of 3rd Down conversions from the entire first 13 games have been converted in the last 4! Remarkable. From Bob Sturm.
- Points allowed per game: Wk 1-14: 16.6, Wk 15-18: 7.8
- Takeaways per game: Wk 1-14: 1.1, Wk 15-18: 2.2
The list could go on and on, the Boys have simply been on a tear the last month.
by One.Cool.Customer on Jan 13, 2010 4:46 PM CST reply actions
Aaron posted a fan shot ....
on Keith Brookings. Brookings said something like, “on every good team I have been on, the players took over”. … It is something we have been waiting for for a loooooooong time here!!
Man I love Brookings … and I ain’t even gay.
by spadesking131313 on Jan 13, 2010 5:02 PM CST up reply actions
i was about to say the
Same thing, nate newton constantly calls him “Brookings” If nate is trying to take that “reporter” type role, I would think he would at least say his name right.
Its BROOKING, no S
by TONYINCC on Jan 13, 2010 6:59 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
He is the man
I didn’t think he was going to be all that wonderful addition to the team, but he has made a HUGE difference in leading those young guys out there. He is the heart of the Defense if you’ve ever watched he is always the one pumping everyone up. I hope Jerry recognizes that and lets him retire as a Cowboy
by DaStarShinesBright on Jan 13, 2010 6:25 PM CST up reply actions
Is it just me?
Or are the Cowboys playing the best defense they have played since 93? I’m really excited about this game.
For one game only ... maybe?
I know everyone is high on Felix’s role at RB … as am I. But watching the Vikings vs Bears match-up a few weeks back, I had visions of Felix exploding through a cannon on kickoff returns … kinda like he did to the Eagles last year. So, if it means no KO returning .. then no. Not until next week at least!
The Vikes are just so porous on KO coverage, that it’s be nice to pop our best in there to take advantage of them. So I’d rather see him return kicks and share carries than not return kicks and get the majority of carries. Plus, no disrespect to Felix, I just think some RBs match up better against certain defenses. I’d like to see a healthy Barber get the “lion’s share” for this week and keep Felix fresh, but the split between all 3 RBs has been very good, so I am not gonna complain. Garrett has been excellent so …..
by spadesking131313 on Jan 13, 2010 4:54 PM CST reply actions
+1 very good point
Another thing to think about. If the vikes couldn’t cover the bears wr just signed off the practice squad, how will they cover Miles, Roy, PC, ya Hurd, and KO???
by TONYINCC on Jan 13, 2010 7:03 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
If Barber is limited
If Marion isn’t ready to go, I’d say we primarily rotate Choice and Felix. I think Choice is pretty close to the back Marion is, and if Marion is nicked, I’d rather go with the “Healthy Choice”. Sorry for the lamo pun, I couldn’t resist.
I’m wondering how Barber will go forward career-wise. It pains me to say it because I love him as a player. But the “broken tackle” stat I saw showed a big dropoff this year compared to his previous ones. It makes me wonder if he’s on the decline.
I still think he’s been pretty effective this year, he’s a tough tackle and seems to always go forward. He’s still a good strong back, but the lack of broken tackles is why you see less of those long runs than he did in 07 (10 20+ compared to 5 this year, on a similar # of carries). If he can stay at this level, I think he’s a solid back to compliment Felix, but no longer a star.
I think he could slide into a power specialist at some point in his career, with Choice and Felix being the primary guys.
Check out my movie - StandardsOfEthicalConduct.com
I think Barber is still awesome, he is just being used differently
And that’s why you really can’t compare stats.
1) When he was the closer, the defenses had been out there for a while, while he was still fresh, so obviously as the game goes on the tackles get worse. That makes it a little easier. For the type of running back he is, I think this was his forte.
2) Having him start the game lets HIM wear down the defenses. It’s a coin flip though. How is it better to wear out a defense: Break them down and physically wear them out, or having them running all over the place exhausting them? Also, with Felix’s health concerns, making him the starter risks him getting hit harder since the defense is fresher.
3) When Barber was a closer, we saw a LOT more sweeps, pitches, and outside running. When I think of Marion the Barbarian I think of the game we were on the 5 or so, Romo pitches it to Barber on a sweep, defense reads it and is already at Barber in the end-zone, and Barber changes gears and gets outta trouble and picks up a few yards. All I see him do now is get shoved down the middle…
4) It could be strategy that you work one way so defenses prepare one way, then switch it up toward the end of the season to give less time for teams to counter. (This one i doubt is going on though).
by DaStarShinesBright on Jan 13, 2010 6:35 PM CST up reply actions
Vikings OTs have not been so good lately.
If they don’t help them Ware and Spencer be in Favre’s face all day.
Barber shouldn't play if he's not 99%
Barber is the one who is always hurt. Then when he plays hurt he’s a detriment to this team. He was great in the 1st meeting with the Eagles but hadn’t been himself due to injuries most of the year. He gets real slow when hurt and doesn’t have the power legs. Let Choice pick up any slack if any. They’ll be fine without him. Doesn’t hurt to have a 100% healthy Barber but it does hurt Dallas to play him injured. I think the coaches have finally decided that Felix and Choice both can block well enough to not have to play Barber if he’s not running well.
by torchindefenses on Jan 13, 2010 5:18 PM CST reply actions
I don't think you can find any player other than the kicker who is 100%
Much less any back. Barber has been playing hurt since the Giants game. He has never been the same seen that thigh injury against the giants this season.
Barbers thing is not to bring big stats, but attitude and that attitude is what has been carrying this team most of the season. Now that that attitude has filled the entire team and we don’t need Barber for that service people will see him as expendable.
I for one will always be grateful to him for holding this team together during its darkest times with his play and passion. Go back and look at this team before the success and really ask yourself if you believe this team would have held together with out his on the field leadership through his attitude and passion.
Barber is the original Brooking with out all the yelling and screaming on the sideline.
Woodson is a Hall of Famer!!!
by I'm a Cowboy on Jan 13, 2010 8:15 PM CST up reply actions
nand he's gonna be even more full of attitude
playing in Minnesota, going back to where he came from
by kevinkinsler on Jan 13, 2010 8:45 PM CST up reply actions
Nice!
I was going to post something similar.
Barber held up, played hurt to get his TEAM by this year, and got help them tred water to keep them in the playoff picture. THAT IS CERTAINLY GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!!!
Now he is not 100%, and Felix is healthy, and people want to throw Marion under the bus. …. Again, just as I said last week about T-New versus Jenkins debate: Why can’t we just be happy that the Cowboys have 2 good players at 1 position? I think Garrett does a good enough job getting all of them the ball enough to put to rest ‘who is starting or who is better?’ Who cares!!!
I like all 3 of our RBs … for the simple reason, they all produce and they all hold onto the ball well.
by spadesking131313 on Jan 13, 2010 9:08 PM CST up reply actions
Three games left
but one game at a time. Felix is gonna have a big day but i think AP will have a big day as well but Favre’s getting picked. We’re keying on the pass and letting our O outscore theirs. I actually think Wade has a large amount of confidence in the secondary and with the coverage D. We’ll see…GO COWBOYS
"Aw Shucks" - Wade Phillips
You have to remember as well that Felix Jones came from the college of Arkansas whos field is 100% grass. The Dallas stadium isn’t, so some of his injuries could be because of that. This kid will only get better, and he’s going to end up being the best back Dallas has had since Emmitt Smith. The thing people don’t realize is Felix would have been a top 5 pick if it weren’t for Mcfadden being in Arkansas as well, he made Mcfadden better than he was in regular school..look at Mcfadden without Jones around.
Yeah, but consider the flip side
Being the 2nd back at Arkansas helped Felix slide in a year which was RB rich.
Being the 2nd back also means Felix came into the pros with a lot less wear and tear on his body than McFadden or probably any other big RB.
Hey Raf, I know you are not too high on FO stuff but here is a piece that goes over ST and how it is going to be
critical advantage that dallas must maintain. I have commented before that the ST is going to play a critical role and it will not get much national play because it is not a “sexy” topic. Could you incorporate some of your ST perspective in your upcoming breakdown. Here is the FO link, if you have not seen it yet.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2010/walkthrough-combo-coverage
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
Well I know ST can play a role, but what I've seen of Minnesota (and it's a limited sample)
is all over the place.
They won the second game against Green Bay in great part because the Packers could not stop Percy Harvin from breaking off long KO returns. OTOH, they were awful against the Bears, giving up three really, really long (60 plus I think) KO returns to two different returners.
But here’s something to consider. Both those games were outside, on really cold nights,where the kickers could not kick deep and intentionally kicked short and to the sideline. I don’t know if those games are representative of what we’ll see in a dome.
hopefully we'll see a lot of touchbacks
our best weapon against Harvin on KOs
by AustonianAggie on Jan 13, 2010 7:44 PM CST up reply actions
I agree.
Felix is a beast and the Cowboys need to get him the ball.
looking at the last two years
our stats w/ a healthy felix versus w/o a healthy felix are a little disturbing to me. I’m not sure an offense should be that reliant on a rb.
That being said, Felix is simply incredible. Hes an absolute gamebreaker when healthy. If he had managed to stay healthy, we’d be talking about him in the same breath as chris johnson.
those are not offensive stats
those are running offense stats.
And they’re probably the same for any team that has an explosive back. What would Minnesota’s run stats look like if they went with Chester Taylor all the time? Probably pretty good, but not as good as they are with Peterson as the premier.
I think I would use Barber over Jones on Kick returns ….Jones is to valuable to be put in that position. Barber is the barbarian. Use him early and late. Jones is the slugger. He can hit a home run on any given play.. Barber can bust a 30 yarder tops. Choice has the potential to bust some big runs too, prolly more of a threat than barber…So why is Barber getting paid soooo much more than Choice and Jones?
We only beat the Saints
with 12 seconds left.
They have a few TDs left on the field.
I hope we’re tight here.
No....
they were up the entire game… so they didn’t really beat them with 12 seconds left.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Jan 14, 2010 7:43 AM CST up reply actions
I still don't trust his health
He has to go through a significant amount of time before I personally declare the injury bug squashed.
2009 Dallas Cowboys: 11-5!!!
2009 New York Jets: not 11-5 :(, but PLAYOFFS!!!
2009-2010 Dallas Mavericks: 57-25, despite the recent molestation at the hands of the Lakers
But yes, he's wonderful and is way better than MBIII
2009 Dallas Cowboys: 11-5!!!
2009 New York Jets: not 11-5 :(, but PLAYOFFS!!!
2009-2010 Dallas Mavericks: 57-25, despite the recent molestation at the hands of the Lakers
Good stuff as usual Raf.
If the Cowboys weren’t running back by committee, Felix would put up ridiculous numbers.
I wouldn’t be sad at all if Barber didn’t play another game.
He’s done great things for us, but everytime I see him run through a gaping hole and end up getting tackled after a 10+ yard carry, I can’t help but think “I wonder what Felix woulda done with that hole.”
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