Felix Not Hitting the Hole observations w/Pic

[percyhoward]

http://i443.***BLOCKED***/albums/qq152/percyhoward/2010Week31a.jpg
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Seeing both safeties deep, Romo audibles to a draw play on 1st and 20 from
his own 10-yard line, just barely beating the play clock.


http://i443.***BLOCKED***/albums/qq152/percyhoward/2010Week31b.jpg
More than 10 yards of open space separate Felix from MLB Ryans. The potential is there
for a big play, but for whatever reason (not enough carries?)...


http://i443.***BLOCKED***/albums/qq152/percyhoward/2010Week31c.jpg
...Felix is not as confident running inside as he was last year. Instead of busting
through the hole, he hesitates and then runs into the B gap.


http://i443.***BLOCKED***/albums/qq152/percyhoward/2010Week31d.jpg
Felix's hesitation allows left end A. Smith time to get off his block and make the tackle.
It's a 4-yard run that could've been a lot more.


________________________________________________



http://i443.***BLOCKED***/albums/qq152/percyhoward/2010Week32a.jpg
The next play is a lead draw that catches the Texans in a nickel with a CB on Bennett,
who is flexed right.

http://i443.***BLOCKED***/albums/qq152/percyhoward/2010Week32b.jpg
The Texans are clearly expecting pass: Smith takes himself out of the play with a speed
rush around Colombo, and the extra DB, lined up on the same side, keeps an 8-yard cushion
between himself and Austin and is out of the picture. Every other defender on this side is
blocked, and Felix appears headed through the hole between Davis, who has his man
blocked, and "FB" Witten, who is sizing up D. Ryans.

http://i443.***BLOCKED***/albums/qq152/percyhoward/2010Week32c.jpg
Witten and Ryans collide, and Felix has an open path straight between the hash marks,
but doesn't take it. Perhaps influenced by the 15-yarder he had running left on the previous
play, Felix cuts hard left back in the direction of two unblocked Texans (LB Diles and S Pollard).


http://i443.***BLOCKED***/albums/qq152/percyhoward/2010Week32d.jpg
Ryans pushes Witten back just enough toward the converging Diles to plug up the hole.
Instead of 10+ yards, the play gets 4.

 

[Vintage]

Maybe its stuff like this that has Felix not getting more carries?

Hard to say.

But the coaches and the fans have yet another disconnect. Gee, I wonder which side is most likely correct?

 

[Don Corleone]

I wonder if the extra weight he put on isn't suiting his running style well. By some reports, he gained at least 10 lbs in the offseason...mostly muscle, but the bulk could be slowing him down.

 

[WoodysGirl]

per Bob Sturm

On whether Felix Jones can run between the tackles:

He doesn't seem to hit the hole hard every time between the tackles. Whether it is instinct, durability, or confidence, he is not great in heavy traffic where you just have to see the hole and hit it. Marion Barber runs through like a bull in a China shop. Julius Jones had the same issue as Felix sometimes. Waiting works in college sometimes, but in the NFL it leads to a 2-yard loss.


http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2010/10/bob-sturm-panic-over-cowboys-s.html

 

[BlueBandit]

Great stuff, this is a concern. I'm not so sure you can teach "hitting the hole" it's natural.

 

[hammer1]

Felix has a 4.0 ypc to Barber's 3.47 in 2010. These 'problems' that Felix has could all be taken care of by giving him more carries which would allow him to get into the flow of the game.

It'a a coaching problem.

 

[tomson75]

per Bob Sturm

On whether Felix Jones can run between the tackles:

He doesn't seem to hit the hole hard every time between the tackles. Whether it is instinct, durability, or confidence, he is not great in heavy traffic where you just have to see the hole and hit it. Marion Barber runs through like a bull in a China shop. Julius Jones had the same issue as Felix sometimes. Waiting works in college sometimes, but in the NFL it leads to a 2-yard loss.


http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2010/10/bob-sturm-panic-over-cowboys-s.html

Not like he used to. He still hits it hard at times, but not like he did his first two years.

 

[percyhoward]

I like what you did there, WG.

It was the Sturm blurb that got me looking at Felix's runs.

 

[Doomsday]

Looks like everyone has a different opinion on the Dallas running game.

NFL Network's Michael Lombardi observes that the Cowboys are a "slower offensive mechanism, and can be defended much easier" when RB Marion Barber is lined up in Dallas' backfield. Analysis: Marion the Librarian lacks the power he possessed earlier in his career, and can no longer beat defenders to the corner. We agree that Felix Jones and Tashard Choice should get more playing time at Barber's expense, but history has proven that Jones' body can't handle more than 15 touches per game.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I like what you did there, WG.

It was the Sturm blurb that got me looking at Felix's runs.

I'm glad you don't mind. I didn't want people to think it was simply a pic.

 

[Seven]

per Bob Sturm

On whether Felix Jones can run between the tackles:

He doesn't seem to hit the hole hard every time between the tackles. Whether it is instinct, durability, or confidence, he is not great in heavy traffic where you just have to see the hole and hit it. Marion Barber runs through like a bull in a China shop. Julius Jones had the same issue as Felix sometimes. Waiting works in college sometimes, but in the NFL it leads to a 2-yard loss.


http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2010/10/bob-sturm-panic-over-cowboys-s.html

Some other dude, on this very board, has said this before.

 

[CATCH17]

Felix would be better served in an offense like Mike Shannahans but regardless we have to find a way to get him the ball.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Yet another great example of why I love the CowboysZone so much.

Great stuff there.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Another Bob Sturm observation:


On the Cowboys involving Felix Jones in the passing game:

I think we are seeing more and more of that. The Texans game made sense, using Felix as a runner out of the Shotgun 11 personnel grouping and also the swing pass that was called back. He doesn't appear to be a power runner between the tackles, nor does Marion appear to be great in space like Felix. The problem with this is that the opponent knows it, too. So you don't want to allow yourself to become extra predictable in your play calling based on each man's specialty, because then the defense can sit on your tendencies. Which of course goes back to the critique of the coaches getting "too cute". See how this becomes a chess game in your head?

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2010/10/bob-sturm-sky-is-the-limit-for.html

 

[percyhoward]

Another Bob Sturm observation: He doesn't appear to be a power runner between the tackles...

Sturm's overgeneralizing here.

Felix was 3rd among all RB's in the league in yards after contact, and averaged 6.1 on runs up the middle last year. The difference this year may be that his opportunities are limited and so he's forced to guess right a greater percentage of the time, and it's making him second guess himself.

 

[TX_Yid]

Question.

What the flip is Sam Young doing in those last three pictures?

 

[TX_Yid]

Its almost as if someone on that far touchline has got his twinkie

 

[BrassCowboy]

Sturm's overgeneralizing here.

Felix was 3rd among all RB's in the league in yards after contact, and averaged 6.1 on runs up the middle last year. The difference this year may be that his opportunities are limited and so he's forced to guess right a greater percentage of the time, and it's making him second guess himself.

I like this analogy the best. Give him more carries and more into the flow of the game.

 

[Bullet22]

Looks to me like Fellix saw a hole, but the man on the right can't hold his block and the one on the left is letting his man go too soon....what once was a big hole is now nothing due to bad blocking...nothing wrong with Felix...

 

[percyhoward]

Looks to me like Fellix saw a hole, but the man on the right can't hold his block and the one on the left is letting his man go too soon....what once was a big hole is now nothing due to bad blocking...nothing wrong with Felix...

By slowing the play down, he made Colombo have to hold his block longer. I like his chances if he just takes that opening that's in front of him and goes one-on-one with the LB in the open field.

It's all personal preference I guess.