LarryCanadian
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Julius Jones is not a tackle breaker. His balance is not one of his strengths. He's running harder and keeping his legs churning better, but this will never be his forte. Sorry.
So I think one thing that is missed is that, from the 1/2 yard line, or in any short yardage situation (running plays of less than 2 yards) my man is Marion Barber over and over and over again. He has shown the ability to move the pile where Jones, even with incredible momentum gets hammered sideways or to a dead stop. Jones is short and not much over 200 pounds. Most of his weight is in his upper body. Barber is the better power runner hands down.
So my point is, if Barber provides a spark and we want to get him in the game more, why the hell do you run Jones from our 1/2 yard line? Emmitt, Sanders, Tiki Barber, these guys had the balance to stay on feet after contact. Jones is a space runner, he's good with holes and in open field. He is not great pushing piles or breaking even arm tackles. I like him, he's just not that type of back.
I think Barber should get far more plays. But particularly ones that are for short yardage or at our own endzone. Early in the year I felt Julius got stopped flat in a numer of 2nd and 3rd and less than 2 yard plays. The blocking wasn't great, but I felt a more powerful runner, one that dives, lunges, scrambles for extra yards, and is reckless would have made a couple of those first downs.
I'm not sure what it is with Jones, he glides over the field and doesn't seem to have one or two feet on the ground a lot and that is why a simple hand often trips him up when he looks like he's got 15 yards of open space ahead of him and it's also why he gets decleated, completely stopping his momentum even when hit after running 4-6 yards. I'm often surprised that he doesn't eke out a yard or 2 more on many of his runs. He goes down fast and without forward momentum. As coaches have pointed out, Jones gets hit flush and hard a bunch. Rewatch tape of his runs. Even on the 4-7 yard runs, he is often stopped dead at contact, not even falling forward for that extra yard or two. When he gets hit while upright he gets turned and moved sideways or backwards or stopped dead consistently. When he gets low and lunges he makes an extra yard or two and sometimes can keep leg going a bit, but even then he gets powered down. When he's making guys miss he's at his best.
Just some observations. Any thoughts, agreements, or rebuttals? I have an incling that Julius will not reach that top back ability that Dorsett, Walker, and Emmitt spoiled us Cowboys fans with. He just doesn't make enough yards when given the opportunity or make enough of those big plays where he turns nothing into something or something minor into something more.
I think Barber deserves a shot, but not sure if he could take the pounding game after game either, because he really throws himself in there.
Bad coaching call on the 1/2 yard line if you ask me though. Even though I never thought it was a safety from any of the camera angles I saw.
LarryCanadian
So I think one thing that is missed is that, from the 1/2 yard line, or in any short yardage situation (running plays of less than 2 yards) my man is Marion Barber over and over and over again. He has shown the ability to move the pile where Jones, even with incredible momentum gets hammered sideways or to a dead stop. Jones is short and not much over 200 pounds. Most of his weight is in his upper body. Barber is the better power runner hands down.
So my point is, if Barber provides a spark and we want to get him in the game more, why the hell do you run Jones from our 1/2 yard line? Emmitt, Sanders, Tiki Barber, these guys had the balance to stay on feet after contact. Jones is a space runner, he's good with holes and in open field. He is not great pushing piles or breaking even arm tackles. I like him, he's just not that type of back.
I think Barber should get far more plays. But particularly ones that are for short yardage or at our own endzone. Early in the year I felt Julius got stopped flat in a numer of 2nd and 3rd and less than 2 yard plays. The blocking wasn't great, but I felt a more powerful runner, one that dives, lunges, scrambles for extra yards, and is reckless would have made a couple of those first downs.
I'm not sure what it is with Jones, he glides over the field and doesn't seem to have one or two feet on the ground a lot and that is why a simple hand often trips him up when he looks like he's got 15 yards of open space ahead of him and it's also why he gets decleated, completely stopping his momentum even when hit after running 4-6 yards. I'm often surprised that he doesn't eke out a yard or 2 more on many of his runs. He goes down fast and without forward momentum. As coaches have pointed out, Jones gets hit flush and hard a bunch. Rewatch tape of his runs. Even on the 4-7 yard runs, he is often stopped dead at contact, not even falling forward for that extra yard or two. When he gets hit while upright he gets turned and moved sideways or backwards or stopped dead consistently. When he gets low and lunges he makes an extra yard or two and sometimes can keep leg going a bit, but even then he gets powered down. When he's making guys miss he's at his best.
Just some observations. Any thoughts, agreements, or rebuttals? I have an incling that Julius will not reach that top back ability that Dorsett, Walker, and Emmitt spoiled us Cowboys fans with. He just doesn't make enough yards when given the opportunity or make enough of those big plays where he turns nothing into something or something minor into something more.
I think Barber deserves a shot, but not sure if he could take the pounding game after game either, because he really throws himself in there.
Bad coaching call on the 1/2 yard line if you ask me though. Even though I never thought it was a safety from any of the camera angles I saw.
LarryCanadian
