DMN Blog: Is Bucs' RB trio better than the Cowboys' committee?

[Vegas_Cowboy]

I visited a couple of Bucs message boards today and you'd be surprised how many of them think they have better RBs than Dallas.

 

[lostinomiya]

If you don't think the Bucs trio is at least comparable to the Boys trio you are showing some homerish tendencies.

I love the RBs we have here but the Bucs RBs are more accomplished and one can argue they complement each other better. The Boys bring more variety but the Bucs appear to be interchangable.

If I'm running a team, I would not be upset with Ward, Graham and Cadillac as my backfield. At all. I wouldn't be upset with the Cowboys backfield either. But let's be real. We have a back as the starter who was best as a backup and two backups in their second year and one of them has only played in 5 games (Now, he was outstanding but it was only 5 games).

I think we should hold off on crowning them the league's best.

Tampa, Carolina, San Diego, New England, Giants, Jets, Commanders all have something to say about that and I may have left off a few teams. Dolphins, Falcons...

I can't wait for this season to start.

Good post.

 

[Hypnotoad]

As a defensive coordinator, would you rather play a team whose 3 RBs have similar styles of running and are interchangeable, or would you rather play 3 RBs who are diverse in their ability each one able to provide a different element to an offense?

 

[ologan]

I was a homage to Pittman's thread...

Got it.My faith in the intelligence of fellow 'Boys fans is renewed. It's Pittman wearing the dunce cap.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

I visited a couple of Bucs message boards today and you'd be surprised how many of them think they have better RBs than Dallas.

They think that their TE's are better than ours as well. PewterReport...

 

[Don Corleone]

This season needs to get started quickly. It is getting pretty deep around here, and in the media.

 

[FLcowboy]

Luckily, we know exactly what we are getting with our triage of running backs.

I'm not picking on you, but triage is the term used to decide what injured person receives medical attention first.

I hope and pray this isn't required of our three great running backs.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm not picking on you, but triage is the term used to decide what injured person receives medical attention first.

I hope and pray this isn't required of our three great running backs.

Read the other posts and go read Pittman4Two's recent thread.

 

[adbutcher]

I read the title, and I lol'd.

Then I came in here and skipped the article to post this.

Only Tim can top his own stupidity, which will go unchallenged until his next article.

 

[Doomsday101]

I like our backs and if healthy they bring a lot more fire power to the running game. I do think this will be a challenge for the Cowboys defense stopping the running game this weekend and look forward to seeing how we match up with their backs.

 

[Ren]

I visited a couple of Bucs message boards today and you'd be surprised how many of them think they have better RBs than Dallas.

they also probably think they can win on sunday

 

[garyv]

Ask yourself one Question in regards to this Post...Would you trade Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice for their three backs and I really think you would answer a big fat NO !!!!

 

[burmafrd]

Cadilac has not shown that he is better then MB- if anything the contrary.
Felix is clearly superior to Ward. Choice is arguably as good as Cadilac though he needs to show it consistently. So frankly outside of TB homers and Cowboy haters who really thinks they are as good?

 

[Alexander]

4:45 PM Tue, Sep 08, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon/Blogger Bio | E-mail | News tips

The trio of Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice should be one of the NFL's elite running back committees. But it might not be the best seen Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

The Bucs boast a trio of Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward and Earnest Graham. Unlike the Cowboys, Tampa Bay has declared how playing time will be split in the backfield. Williams, the former top-five pick who has come back from two serious knee injuries, will start and play two series. Ward will play the next two series. Graham will play the next series. The 2-2-1 rotation will repeat throughout the game.

Last season's stats don't tell the whole story when comparing these committees for several reasons. Jones' rookie season was cut short by hamstring and toe injuries, and Barber limped on a dislocated little toe down the stretch. Williams didn't play most of the season due to a knee injury. Ward put up impressive numbers for the Giants, so it remains to be seen if he can have the same success with his new team.

With that disclaimer, here is a comparison of the committees' 2008 rushing totals:

COWBOYS
Marion Barber - 238 carries, 885 yards, 7 TD
Felix Jones - 30 carries, 226 yards, 3 TD
Tashard Choice - 92 carries, 472 yards, 2 TD
Total - 360 yards, 1,563 yards, 12 TD

BUCS
Cadillac Williams - 63 carries, 233 yards, 4 TD
Derrick Ward - 182 carries, 1,025 yards, 2 TD
Earnest Graham - 132 carries, 563 yards, 4TD
Total - 377 carries, 1,821 yards, 10 TD

I think MacMahon writes a lot of what he does to get a rise out of some people. And it looks like it works. I don't think he can be nearly as ignorant as he appears here.

First, he has to know that Ward's totals from last year don't mean a bloody thing unless he suddenly will be running behind the Giants' OL for this game. Second, Williams even when healthy, while decent wasn't ripping any team a new one. His knees are pretty delicate and it wouldn't surprise me if they exploded all over Raymond James Stadium after a good solid shot. Third, Graham doesn't impress me a whole lot. Solid back, good receiver, but hardly a killer.

Another thing he missed is that Tampa doesn't even have their good young guard (Arron Sears) for this game. These backs aren't good enough to simply run over teams missing their best interior blocker.

They aren't a bad lot at all. Ours have the potential to be great. But there are other factors that go into it before he can claim they are at the same level as our backs, who are all healthy and have an intact offensive line to block for them.

 

[Canadian BoyzFan]

Ward had 40% of the Giants rushing snaps last season. The three Cowboys RBs split rushing snaps. Enough said.

THIS. Stupid article.

 

[rysko]

if cadillac can come back to his prime, then i think they might actually have better backs then us, i've never been a fan of marion barber as a full time rb, but felix makes me drool. i also like choice. barber does bring that intensity that dallas lacks greatly most of the time.

 

[Alexander]

if cadillac can come back to his prime, then i think they might actually have better backs then us

What exactly was his prime? His rookie season without a wrecked knee?

Even then, he wasn't terrorizing the league.

 

[WarDaddy]

What exactly was his prime? His rookie season without a wrecked knee?

Even then, he wasn't terrorizing the league.

Yeah he was. He started his rookie year on a tear with a ton of carries and a ton of yards. He carried his team and looked like an elite back.

 

[burmafrd]

Well so did Julius the last 8 games of 2004.

 

[DallasKnight]

Ward had 40% of the Giants rushing snaps last season. The three Cowboys RBs split rushing snaps. Enough said.

Not sure what your point here is, but if it is what I think it is, you are wrong. This clearly shows that the Bucs split rushing snaps better than the Cowboys. Barber took nearly 2/3rd of all of our rushing snaps.


COWBOYS
Marion Barber - 238 carries, 885 yards, 7 TD
Felix Jones - 30 carries, 226 yards, 3 TD
Tashard Choice - 92 carries, 472 yards, 2 TD
Total - 360 yards, 1,563 yards, 12 TD

BUCS
Cadillac Williams - 63 carries, 233 yards, 4 TD
Derrick Ward - 182 carries, 1,025 yards, 2 TD
Earnest Graham - 132 carries, 563 yards, 4TD
Total - 377 carries, 1,821 yards, 10 TD


I agree that all 3 of our backs are good, but Barber got hurt last year, Jones got hurt last year and hasn't really proved that he can do it for a whole year. Choice is still a backup...

That all being said. I'd still prefer our backs to theirs, but don't think for a second that they are heads and shoulders above the other teams.