ESPN: Why does Barber keep getting carries

[Mr Cowboy]

IRVING, Texas -- Why doesn’t Marion Barber continue to get a healthy share of the playing time at running back?

It’s a question that continues to puzzle me. The Cowboys opt to go with a two-back platoon, and dynamic Felix Jones is obviously going to be part of that. But it’s difficult to understand why Barber gets the rest of the carries instead of Tashard Choice, who has been productive on the rare occasions he’s gotten a chance to carry a significant part of the load over the course of his career.

Barber, on the other hand, is averaging an unimpressive 3.3 yards per carry this season. What does Jason Garrett see to justify Barber’s role?

“We like Marion Barber. We like him a lot,” Garrett said. “We haven’t run the ball as well as we need to run the ball, and that’s a team thing. We have to continue to emphasize that in practice and carry the emphasis into the ballgame. We’ll continue to try to do that.

“If you look at Marion, a lot of the runs he’s had have been in some very obvious run-type situations. He’s been very good in the short-yardage type stuff over the course of the season and those four-minute situations where there are eight, nine, 10 men around the line of scrimmage, he’s getting the ball a lot in those situations. So his yards per carry are going to be a little less than some of the other backs who are just kind of playing within the flow of the ballgame.”

Quick interruption to fact-check: Barber is tied for the league lead with 13 carries in third- or fourth-and-1 situations. He’s gained 19 yards on those carries, converting nine of them into first downs.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/

 

[WoodysGirl]

I'm going to guess without looking that this was written by Tim MacMahon.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Money, most likely in his contract to play, that barber signed with jerry jones

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

ESPN:Why does Barber keep getting carries
IRVING, Texas -- Why doesn’t Marion Barber continue to get a healthy share of the playing time at running back?

Ouch, not a good start to your post

 

[tyke1doe]

I'm going to guess without looking that this was written by Tim MacMahon.

Bingo!

Marty, tell this woman what she's won.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Bingo!

Marty, tell this woman what she's won.

I know what I'd like to win.. lol

But I knew it was Tim, because that's been his biggest gripe of the season. He's on the "Play Choice" team.

Not knocking him, but he's a one-trick pony sometimes. Can't find a new topic, I'll just write how Barber sucks and they need to play Choice.

 

[TD-33]

I know what I'd like to win.. lol

But I knew it was Tim, because that's been his biggest gripe of the season. He's on the "Play Choice" team.

Not knocking him, but he's a one-trick pony sometimes. Can't find a new topic, I'll just write how Barber sucks and they need to play Choice.

His widdle feewings got hurted when Garrett verbally smacked him up side the head last week.

 

[bbgun]

It's November 18th, and our top rusher only has 353 yards. Unbelievable.

 

[CowboyMike]

His widdle feewings got hurted when Garrett verbally smacked him up side the head last week.

This. And it was well deserved too. He's needed to be put in his place since the day he arrived on the Cowboys beat.

 

[Coakleys Dad]

I would add why not have Choice in the loop & getting some burn if barber will not be here next year....but i already have seen first hand where that takes a thread. So "hi everyone" LOL.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

IRVING, Texas -- Why doesn’t Marion Barber continue to get a healthy share of the playing time at running back?

It’s a question that continues to puzzle me. The Cowboys opt to go with a two-back platoon, and dynamic Felix Jones is obviously going to be part of that. But it’s difficult to understand why Barber gets the rest of the carries instead of Tashard Choice, who has been productive on the rare occasions he’s gotten a chance to carry a significant part of the load over the course of his career.

Barber, on the other hand, is averaging an unimpressive 3.3 yards per carry this season. What does Jason Garrett see to justify Barber’s role?

“We like Marion Barber. We like him a lot,” Garrett said. “We haven’t run the ball as well as we need to run the ball, and that’s a team thing. We have to continue to emphasize that in practice and carry the emphasis into the ballgame. We’ll continue to try to do that.

“If you look at Marion, a lot of the runs he’s had have been in some very obvious run-type situations. He’s been very good in the short-yardage type stuff over the course of the season and those four-minute situations where there are eight, nine, 10 men around the line of scrimmage, he’s getting the ball a lot in those situations. So his yards per carry are going to be a little less than some of the other backs who are just kind of playing within the flow of the ballgame.”

Quick interruption to fact-check: Barber is tied for the league lead with 13 carries in third- or fourth-and-1 situations. He’s gained 19 yards on those carries, converting nine of them into first downs.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/

This guy is a horrible writer.

 

[BigDFan5]

Barber had 8 carries last sunday 4 in the last 3 minutes and 3 in the first 3 minutes that means he had 1 carry in the other 54 minutesd of the game. I bet timmy didnt even see the game he tivoed it and when he saw we won he deleted it

 

[mrrnr]

E. Smith coudnt run through our current OL.

Put MB in E.Smith Glory Days OL and MB would do 5 yards a carry.

Plus MB is a brewser type of runner that needs 20+ caries

 

[CowboyMike]

E. Smith coudnt run through our current OL.

Put MB in E.Smith Glory Days OL and MB would do 5 yards a carry.

Plus MB is a brewser type of runner that needs 20+ caries

In Aging Emmitt's last year here, when we never started the same set of O-linemen once in a season due to injury... when we signed a guy and he was starting at guard the next day and Emmitt reached across the huddle in the game to introduce himself... he still gained 975 yards.

So yes, Emmitt could probably run behind our current OL, and would probably gain 1000 yards for the season.

 

[Nav22]

It's a great question. Barber's FINISHED as a runner. Rewatch a game from 2007 if you think he still "has it".

 

[percyhoward]

Quick interruption to fact-check: Barber is tied for the league lead with 13 carries in third- or fourth-and-1 situations. He’s gained 19 yards on those carries, converting nine of them into first downs.

MacMahon, if you're reading, let me explain how to use a stat to support what you write.

First, the above stat that you included has no meaning when it's presented outside of the context of where it ranks Barber in the league. You could have gone to ProFootballWeekly's site, clicked on the category "%1st Down, Run on 3rd/<3," and seen that Barber is 10th in that category. Then what you wrote would have had some meaning, at least. Although it still wouldn't have supported your title, "Why Does Marion Barber Keep Getting Carries?"

(The truth is, I think someone would have to explain to you what the stat means and how it explains why we use Barber in short yardage.)

Now, if you wanted to point to some useful information that would have actually supported what you wrote, you could have gone to nfl.com and pulled up a gamebook to find out if we were using Barber in situations other than just short yardage in the last game. The gamebooks are in pdf format, so there's a search feature. You just type Barber's name in, and it shows you all his carries according to down and distance, and tells you exactly when in the game each carry took place. It might take 30-35 seconds.

Doing this, you would have noticed that Barber only had 3 carries prior to the 4th quarter that were not short yardage carries, and you would have either had to think up something else to write about, or change your title to "Barber Used According to His Strengths."

Here's the clincher: That wouldn't really be a problem. It would give you a clearer picture of what you write about.

 

[Primetime42]

I'm not Timmy Mac's biggest fan. I don't appreciate his condescending style as a writer. Not to mention his takes usually lack substance.

 

[adbutcher]

Barber had 8 carries last sunday 4 in the last 3 minutes and 3 in the first 3 minutes that means he had 1 carry in the other 54 minutesd of the game. I bet timmy didnt even see the game he tivoed it and when he saw we won he deleted it

:laugh2:

 

[cowboyed]

Barber is also the best blocking running back out of the trio. This is vital when bolstering a balsa wood Oline.

 

[EPL0c0]

Trying to up his trade value maybe