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Young Cowboys RBs must help ease workload for Jones
Dallas
Julius Jones was run through the gauntlet right off the bat as a rookie, carrying the ball an NFL rookie-record 93 times in his first three starts after recovering from a broken shoulder blade. Jones passed that test with flying colors and has been anointed the Cowboys’ back of the present and future, but the idea this offseason was to get him help. The team signed Anthony Thomas to a one-year deal worth $1 million. It drafted Marion Barber in the fourth round and praised undrafted Tyson Thompson, who made the team, all summer long. So why has Jones carried the ball 96 of the 126 times the Cowboys have run the ball this season? Bill Parcells, for one, evidently has been disappointed in his rookies’ readiness to play, and two, Jones is just the guy he trusts the most. There has been a plan in place to lessen Jones’ load, but because the team has been in three close games, the coaches have gone with their bell cow. As for Thomas, don’t expect him to play much of a role — unless Jones gets hurt. Parcells would prefer to see his young backs improve their pass blocking and blitz pickup and use them as the primary backups because both contribute on special teams as well.
NY Giants
Last week in this space we told you about the possibility of rookie CB Corey Webster, once he gets over a strained quad muscle, replacing Will Allen, but more defensive changes could be in store. First, the benching of Allen might be on hold seeing as how fellow starter William Peterson appears to be badly hurt. A source close to Peterson told PFW that the cornerback’s back is “pretty screwed up” but that he would get a second opinion before deciding whether to shut it down for the season or try to return. In the loss to the Chargers, a game in which they allowed 485 yards of offense, the team benched SLB Reggie Torbor, inserting former starter Nick Greisen on the weak side and moving Carlos Emmons back to his old SLB position. In addition, SS Gibril Wilson, who also was benched for a spell vs. San Diego, has been a disappointment thus far and could be replaced by longtime starter Shaun Williams, who has done a nice job in reserve and on special teams.
Philadelphia
QB Donovan McNabb’s sports hernia will be a painful ailment as long as he plays, but the team’s physicians and other medical people believe he can’t hurt himself further. The problem is that rest will not heal it; only surgery can cure the abdominal problem. McNabb says he’ll wait until after the season and play through the pain. A potential problem is that with three injuries right now — he has the sports hernia, a sternum injury and a shin contusion — McNabb is very vulnerable to going down for a long stretch. Adding to the possibility is that the Eagles pass a lot (71 percent of the time), and their backs, namely Brian Westbrook, are not considered great pass blockers. Neither is starting TE L.J. Smith, so you might see the Eagles use more formations with FB Josh Parry or an extra tight end and fewer spread formations. With defensive coordinators likely to have their players pin their ears back and blitz McNabb early and often, McNabb — never known as an elite decision-maker — must hit his hot reads more often, which could reduce the number of big plays the passing game nets.
Washington
Special teams have been an area of concern for the Commanders. First, RS Antonio Brown was cut after Week One and replaced by James Thrash (punts) and Ladell Betts (kickoffs). Then PK John Hall pulled his quadriceps in the opener and was replaced temporarily by free agent Nick Novak; Hall could return this week. Now the team has cut P Andy Groom, who made the team when Tom Tupa got hurt, replacing him with Derrick Frost. The coverage teams also have suffered this year and in recent years because of the number of former coverage aces who are now starters. Coordinator Danny Smith and Joe Gibbs made the improvement of the special teams a priority this season, but the results weren’t evident in the first two games — they were ranked in the bottom half of the league in return average (both punts and kicks), kick-return average allowed and punting average. In Week Four, though, Novak came through when he was needed most, kicking a game-winning field goal in overtime to push the Commanders to 3-0.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/default.htm?mode=nfceast
Dallas
Julius Jones was run through the gauntlet right off the bat as a rookie, carrying the ball an NFL rookie-record 93 times in his first three starts after recovering from a broken shoulder blade. Jones passed that test with flying colors and has been anointed the Cowboys’ back of the present and future, but the idea this offseason was to get him help. The team signed Anthony Thomas to a one-year deal worth $1 million. It drafted Marion Barber in the fourth round and praised undrafted Tyson Thompson, who made the team, all summer long. So why has Jones carried the ball 96 of the 126 times the Cowboys have run the ball this season? Bill Parcells, for one, evidently has been disappointed in his rookies’ readiness to play, and two, Jones is just the guy he trusts the most. There has been a plan in place to lessen Jones’ load, but because the team has been in three close games, the coaches have gone with their bell cow. As for Thomas, don’t expect him to play much of a role — unless Jones gets hurt. Parcells would prefer to see his young backs improve their pass blocking and blitz pickup and use them as the primary backups because both contribute on special teams as well.
NY Giants
Last week in this space we told you about the possibility of rookie CB Corey Webster, once he gets over a strained quad muscle, replacing Will Allen, but more defensive changes could be in store. First, the benching of Allen might be on hold seeing as how fellow starter William Peterson appears to be badly hurt. A source close to Peterson told PFW that the cornerback’s back is “pretty screwed up” but that he would get a second opinion before deciding whether to shut it down for the season or try to return. In the loss to the Chargers, a game in which they allowed 485 yards of offense, the team benched SLB Reggie Torbor, inserting former starter Nick Greisen on the weak side and moving Carlos Emmons back to his old SLB position. In addition, SS Gibril Wilson, who also was benched for a spell vs. San Diego, has been a disappointment thus far and could be replaced by longtime starter Shaun Williams, who has done a nice job in reserve and on special teams.
Philadelphia
QB Donovan McNabb’s sports hernia will be a painful ailment as long as he plays, but the team’s physicians and other medical people believe he can’t hurt himself further. The problem is that rest will not heal it; only surgery can cure the abdominal problem. McNabb says he’ll wait until after the season and play through the pain. A potential problem is that with three injuries right now — he has the sports hernia, a sternum injury and a shin contusion — McNabb is very vulnerable to going down for a long stretch. Adding to the possibility is that the Eagles pass a lot (71 percent of the time), and their backs, namely Brian Westbrook, are not considered great pass blockers. Neither is starting TE L.J. Smith, so you might see the Eagles use more formations with FB Josh Parry or an extra tight end and fewer spread formations. With defensive coordinators likely to have their players pin their ears back and blitz McNabb early and often, McNabb — never known as an elite decision-maker — must hit his hot reads more often, which could reduce the number of big plays the passing game nets.
Washington
Special teams have been an area of concern for the Commanders. First, RS Antonio Brown was cut after Week One and replaced by James Thrash (punts) and Ladell Betts (kickoffs). Then PK John Hall pulled his quadriceps in the opener and was replaced temporarily by free agent Nick Novak; Hall could return this week. Now the team has cut P Andy Groom, who made the team when Tom Tupa got hurt, replacing him with Derrick Frost. The coverage teams also have suffered this year and in recent years because of the number of former coverage aces who are now starters. Coordinator Danny Smith and Joe Gibbs made the improvement of the special teams a priority this season, but the results weren’t evident in the first two games — they were ranked in the bottom half of the league in return average (both punts and kicks), kick-return average allowed and punting average. In Week Four, though, Novak came through when he was needed most, kicking a game-winning field goal in overtime to push the Commanders to 3-0.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/default.htm?mode=nfceast
