News: BTB: Running Back By Committee Is A Dallas Cowboys Tradition

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Since the Cowboys failed to pick up a "lead back" in the draft, many pundits are decrying the fact that they look to be going into the 2015 season without a "bell cow," a back capable of 275+ carries. If we look at their long history, we see that the Cowboys have enjoyed great success without having such a lead back.

In an article published earlier today, Tom Ryle referenced a recently published set of "insulting" post-draft power rankings that had the Cowboys ranked eighteenth. The justification for this was two-fold: the Cowboys have too many risky players on the roster and they failed adequately to replace DeMarco Murray. The writer of this piece appears to have fallen prey to the kind of short-sightedness that seems to have affected many writers: the idea that the 2015 Cowboys must win in exactly the same way that the 2014 crew did - i.e., with a lead back toting the rock an unprecedented number of times.

In 2014, as has been oft-rehearsed on these very pages, Murray did just that, totaling 392 carries, which eclipsed the previous record of 373 set by Emmitt Smith in 1995. Perhaps the fact that both 2014 and 1995 saw the Cowboys sport 12-4 records leads people to believe in a simple equation: lead back with lots of carries=successful season. Certainly, part of this is true: a bad team, one that is usually behind, isn't likely to have the opportunity to pile up so many carries. But here's the key: those carries don't have to be by the same guy.

Indeed, throughout their illustrious history, the Cowboys have had many a successful season wherein the leading ballcarrier didn't get as many as 200 carries. As an exercise, I thought I might look at each of the various "rushing eras" in the 55 years the Cowboys have been in existence, focusing on the number of carries amassed by each of the team's top three rushers. We'll start at the beginning, with the Don Perkins Era:

Year Team Rushes Rusher #1 Carries (%) Rusher # 2 Carries Rusher # 3 Carries
1960 312 L. Dupree HB) 104 (33.0) D. McIlhenny (HB) 96 Kowalczyk (FB) 50
1961 416 D. Perkins (HB) 200 (48.1) A. Marsh (FB) 84 J. Lockett 66
1962 434 D. Perkins (HB) 222 (51.2) A. Marsh (FB) 144 A. Bullocks 33
1963 420 D. Perkins (HB) 149 (35.5) A. Marsh (FB) 99 A. Bullocks 96
1964 421 D. Perkins (HB) 174 (41.3) A. Marsh (FB) 100 J. Stiger (HB) 68
1965 416 D. Perkins (FB) 177 (42.5) J. Smith (FB) 86 P.L. Dunn (HB) 54
1966 471 D. Perkins (FB) 186 (39.5) D. Reeves (HB) 175 D. Meredith (QB) 38
1967 477 D. Perkins (FB) 201 (42.1) D. Reeves (HB) 173 D. Meredith (QB) 28
1968 480 D. Perkins (FB) 191 (40.0) C. Baynham (HB) 103 L. Shy 64​

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If you ever wonder why Don Perkins is in the ring of honor, this goes a long way to answering the question; the man carried an expansion team on his back for several years. Once they had sufficient talent, he consistently hovered around 40 percent of the team's carries, with a variety of backs talking up the slack. After retiring in 1968, the six-time Pro Bowler was succeeded as the team's leading rusher by Calvin Hill, who headlines the next era:

Year Team Rusher #1 Carries (%) Rusher # 2 Carries Rusher # 3 Carries
1969 532 C. Hill (HB) 204 (38.3) W. Garrison (FB) 818 D. Reeves (HB) 59
1970 522 C. Hill (HB) 153 (29.3) D. Thomas (HB/ FB) 151 W. Garrison (FB) 126
1971 512 D. Thomas (RB) 175 (34.2) W. Garrison (FB) 127 C. Hill (RB) 106
1972 499 C. Hill (RB) 245 (49.1) W. Garrison (FB) 167 M. Montgomery 35
1973 542 C. Hill (RB) 273 (50.4) W. Garrison (FB) 105 R. Newhouse (RB) 84
1974 542 C. Hill (RB) 185 (34.1) R. Newhouse (RB/ FB) 124 W. Garrison (FB) 113
1975 571 R. Newhouse (FB) 209 (36.6) P. Pearson (RB) 133 D. Dennison (RB) 111
1976 538 D. Dennison (HB) 153 (28.4) R. Newhouse (FB) 116 S. Laidlaw (FB) 94​

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In 1970 and '71, it appeared that the Cowboys were going to enjoy a talented, two-pronged rushing attack, spearheaded by Hill and Duane Thomas. However, Thomas was traded in 1972, and Hill had to assume both men's carries, resulting in the highest percentage of team rushes since Perkins in 1962.

After Hill left the team in '74, there was a two-year fallow period wherein an otherwise Super Bowl caliber roster was making do with the likes of Robert Newhouse (206 carries in 1975!), Doug Dennison and Scott Laidlaw before Dallas orchestrated a draft heist to secure their first Hall of Fame running back, Tony Dorsett. He was immediately ensconced at the team's lead back, and gives his name to the next era:

Year Team Rusher #1 Carries (%) Rusher # 2 Carries Rusher # 3 Carries
1977 564 T. Dorsett (RB) 208 (36.9) R. Newhouse (FB) 180 P. Pearson (RB) 89
1978 625 T. Dorsett (RB) 290 (46.4) R. Newhouse (FB) 140 S. Laidlaw (RB) 75
1979 578 T. Dorsett (RB) 250 (43.3) R. Newhouse (FB) 124 S. Laidlaw (RB) 69
1980 595 T. Dorsett (RB) 278 (46.7) R. Newhouse (FB) 118 R. Springs (FB) 89
1981 630 T. Dorsett (RB) 342 (54.3) R. Springs (FB) 172 D. White (QB) 38
1982* 296 T. Dorsett (RB) 177 (59.8) R. Springs (FB) 59 D. White (QB) 17
1983 519 T. Dorsett (RB) 289 (55.7) R. Springs (FB) 149 T. Newsome (RB) 44
1984 469 T. Dorsett (RB) 302 (64.4) R. Springs (FB) 68 T. Newsome (RB) 66
1985 462 T. Dorsett (RB) 305 (66.0) T. Newsome (RB) 88 D. White (QB) 22​

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*=strike year​

The Cowboys, perhaps concerned over Dorsett's size, brought him along slowly. But, as he demonstrated his durability and the rest of the running back stable proved to be middling talents, Dorsett's percentage of his carries increased, hovering around and then finally breaking 60 percent - far beyond the mark established by Calvin Hill. As Dorsett's career wound down, Tex Schram and Gil Brandt began to integrate his replacement, a guy named Herschel Walker.

Year Team Rusher #1 Carries (%) Rusher # 2 Carries Rusher # 3 Carries
1986 447 T. Dorsett (RB) 184 (41.2) H. Walker (RB) 151 S. Pelluer (QB) 41
1987* 465 H. Walker (RB) 209 (44.9) T. Dorsett (HB) 130 A. Blount (RB)* 46
1988 469 H. Walker (RB) 361 (77.0) S. Pelluer (QB) 51 T. Newsome (FB) 32
1989 355 P. Palmer (RB) 112 (31.5) H. Walker (RB) 81 D. Johnston (FB) 67​

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*=strike year (Blount was the Cowboys' strike replacement back)​

As the Cowboys declined, and Dorsett was released, Walker got more carries and then emerged as the team's only legitimate weapon. In 1988, he not only logged 77 percent of the team's rushing yardage, but also caught 53 balls (finishing second to Ray Alexander's 54). No wonder people were shocked when Jimmy Johnson traded him! By trading Walker to the Vikings, the Cowboys created what I consider to be their most dominant team. That team was, of course, built around Emmitt Smith, who was drafted in 1990:

Year Team Rusher #1 Carries (%) Rusher # 2 Carries Rusher # 3 Carries
1990 393 E. Smith (RB) 241 (61.3) T. Agee (HB) 53 Aikman (QB) 40
1991 433 E. Smith (RB) 365 (84.3) D. Johnston (FB) 54 Aikman (QB) 16
1992 500 E. Smith (RB) 373 (74.6) C. Richards (HB) 49 T. Aikman (QB) 37
1993 490 E. Smith (RB) 283 (57.8) D. Lassic (RB) 75 L. Coleman (RB) 34
1994 550 E. Smith (RB) 368 (66.9) L. Coleman (RB) 64 D. Johnston (FB) 40
1995 495 E. Smith (RB) 377 (76.2) S. Williams (RB) 48 D. Johnston (FB) 25
1996 475 E. Smith (RB) 327 (68.8) S. Williams (RB) 69 T. Aikman (QB) 35
1997 423 E. Smith (RB) 261 (61.7) S. Williams (RB) 121 T. Aikman (QB) 25
1998 499 E. Smith (RB) 319 (63.9) S. Williams (RB) 64 C. Warren (RB) 59
1999 493 E. Smith (RB) 329 (66.7) C. Warren (RB) 99 T. Aikman (QB) 21
2000 463 E. Smith (RB) 294 (63.5) C. Warren (RB) 59 M. Wiley (RB) 24
2001 505 E. Smith (RB) 261 (51.7) T. Hambrick (RB) 113 Q. Carter (QB) 45
2002 423 E. Smith (RB) 254 (60.0) T. Hambrick (RB) 79 Q. Carter (QB) 27​

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In his long career in Dallas, Emmitt Smith took less than 60 percent of the team's carries only twice: in 1993, when he missed parts of four games due to contract hold out and injury, and 2001, when he missed two more games due to injury. During the team's run as a legitimate Super Bowl contender (1991-'96), he logged 71.1% of the team's carries. That's awesome. After the Cowboys traded Smith, we were forced to witness Dallas' worst running game since 1989:

Year Team Rusher #1 Carries (%) Rusher # 2 Carries Rusher # 3 Carries
2003 515 T. Hambrick (RB) 275 (53.4) R. Anderson (FB) 70 Q. Carter (QB) 68​

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Thankfully, the Troy Hambrick Era lasted only one season, and was soon followed by the acquisition of Julius Jones, followed by Marion Barber and then Felix Jones. So, I'll call this the Barber-Joneses Era:

Year Team Rusher #1 Carries (%) Rusher # 2 Carries Rusher # 3 Carries
2004 449 J. Jones (RB) 197 (43.9) E. George (RB) 132 R. Anderson (FB) 57
2005 521 J. Jones (RB) 257 (49.3) M. Barber (RB) 138 T. Thompson (RB) 46
2006 472 J. Jones (RB) 267 (56.6) M. Barber (RB) 135 T. Romo (QB) 34
2007 419 M. Barber (RB) 204 (48.7) J. Jones (RB) 164 T. Romo (QB) 31
2008 401 M. Barber (RB) 238 (59.4) T. Choice (RB) 92 F. Jones (RB) 30
2009 436 M. Barber (RB) 214 (49.1) F. Jones (RB) 116 T. Choice (RB) 64
2010 428 F. Jones (RB) 185 (43.2) M. Barber (RB) 113 T. Choice (RB) 66​

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Here's where the team returned to the kind of distribution they had employed in the 70s, before the glorious Dorsett-Walker-Smith run. As a general rule, the top carrier has fewer than 50 percent of the team's carries - a distribution that, as we shall see below, led to a good deal of success. As Barber and the Joneses became ineffective, however, they gave way to DeMarco Murray:

Year Team Rushes RB1 Carries (%) RB 2 Carries RB 3 Carries
2011 408 D. Murray (RB) 164 (40.2) F. Jones (RB) 127 T. Choice (RB) 28
2012 355 D. Murray (RB) 161 (45.4) F. Jones (RB) 111 T. Romo (QB) 30
2013 336 D. Murray (RB) 217 (64.6) J. Randle (RB) 54 L. Dunbar (RB) 30
2014 508 D. Murray (RB) 392 (77.2) J. Randle (RB) 51 L. Dunbar (RB) 29​

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What do we make of all this material? On one hand, we can affirm that when the Cowboys distribution of carries evened out it was because they didn't have a clear lead back; indeed, a look at Emmitt's backups confirms the huge drop-off from Running Back One to RB2. This leads to a troubling possibility: what if Randle and Dunbar are little more than the most recent iteration of Derrick Lassic and Lincoln Coleman?

On the other, we must note that, when the offensive line was adequate, the rushing attack was every bit as effective as it had been in the best of those previous eras. Here. I've taken the top five-year period from each of three eras:

Dorsett Era (77-81) Smith Era (91-95) Barber-Jonses Era
Year YPC Year YPC Year YPC
1977 4.2 1991 4.0 2006 4.1
1978 4.5 1992 4.2 2007 4.2
1979 4.1 1993 4.4 2008 4.3
1980 4.0 1994 3.6 2009 4.8
1981 4.3 1995 4.4 2010 4.2​

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The best of the Jones-Barber years enjoyed higher 5-year and single-season average yards per carry than those of the great eras from the past - and did so the year after the Cowboys released Terrell Owens, and didn't have a dominant receiver until Miles Austin emerged in October.

Given the strength of the Cowboys' current O-line - it is certainly far ahead of the 2009 version - I have every reason to believe that their current stable of running backs can duplicate the success of guys like Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. What they don't have just yet is a hammer like Barber, but I'd bet they will continue to look for one, and will find a suitable candidate before they kick off against the Giants the week after Labor Day.

And when they do, Dallas will return to the way it has run the ball throughout the majority of its history: with three backs all getting less than 50 percent of the carries. Its worked before; when they won Super Bowls in 1971 and 1977 - a run-first era, mind you - the leading rusher had fewer than 37% of the total team carries.

@rabblerousr @BloggingTheBoys​

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