The Myth of the Bell Cow

[Galian Beast]

Agreed.

There is going to be one back who gets about 17 carries per game. Another will get about 8 and the remaining 5 will be divvied up between the 3rd RB, a WR end around here and there and a QB carry.

I'm not sure whether or not any one of them will get as many as 17. I think the split will be closer to 15-10-5.

 

[Titleist]

really?????

Lol that would be insane

 

[Galian Beast]

Really. If the offense stays run heavy and two RBs share the bulk of the carries, I don't see why it can't happen.

A 15-15 split between two running backs could do it.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Wouldn't surprise me to see 2 of our RBs go over 1,000.

You know that is a possibility due to not having one guy who is head and shoulders above the other. And then you have the injury thing.

If you have a guy averaging 4.6 YPC they would need 217 carries to reach 1,000 yards.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I'm not sure whether or not any one of them will get as many as 17. I think the split will be closer to 15-10-5.

And that's possible too.

 

[Nightman]

Really. If the offense stays run heavy and two RBs share the bulk of the carries, I don't see why it can't happen.

McFadden has done it once in 7 years
Randle has 105 carries in his career
RWilliams has 58 carries in 4 seasons

 

[T-RO]

Make no mistake, if NE and Indy had a stud back, they wouldn't use RB by Committee. They are just playing the hand they are dealt. Well Indy TRIED to trade for a stud back but he was a bust.

The Patriots have been winning forever now without a top running back. It has zero to do with "the hand they are dealt." They haven't prioritized it in draft/free agency.

 

[MagicMan]

I think the myth is that EVERY team should have a "bell cow" RB for them to have success. It all depends on their offense and style of play. I could care less what the rest of fthe league does and how they run their offense. But in Dallas situation, their BEST teams and most successful teams were when we had stud RBs and the running game as the priortiy and the passing game complimenting. it. No coincidence that the success has come when Calvin Hill or Duane Thomas was carrying the pigskin, Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith, and then Murray.

The mediocre teams have been when we have a RBBC approach because we had NO runningback that was worthy. Which it seems may be happening this year as well. And of those top 10 offenses listed, 6 of them had backs over 1000 and ironically Denver has had more success with a bell cow than RBBC. NE does not use RBBC, they use one til something goes wrong whether injury or play suffers, and then change to another one. They don't use them to share the load.

But as the poster above stated, when you have Manning, Brees, Brady, Rogers and Luck as your QB, you are probably going to emphasize the pass. Our TEAM success seems to be better when Romo is not having to carry the load. Nothing wrong with that, as great as Elway was, once he had help from a bell cow runningback with a running attack, he won two SBs.

 

[Galian Beast]

I think the myth is that EVERY team should have a "bell cow" RB for them to have success. It all depends on their offense and style of play. I could care less what the rest of fthe league does and how they run their offense. But in Dallas situation, their BEST teams and most successful teams were when we had stud RBs and the running game as the priortiy and the passing game complimenting. it. No coincidence that the success has come when Calvin Hill or Duane Thomas was carrying the pigskin, Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith, and then Murray.

The mediocre teams have been when we have a RBBC approach because we had NO runningback that was worthy. Which it seems may be happening this year as well. And of those top 10 offenses listed, 6 of them had backs over 1000 and ironically Denver has had more success with a bell cow than RBBC. NE does not use RBBC, they use one til something goes wrong whether injury or play suffers, and then change to another one. They don't use them to share the load.

But as the poster above stated, when you have Manning, Brees, Brady, Rogers and Luck as your QB, you are probably going to emphasize the pass. Our TEAM success seems to be better when Romo is not having to carry the load. Nothing wrong with that, as great as Elway was, once he had help from a bell cow runningback with a running attack, he won two SBs.

I've seen that narrative, and I think it doesn't tell the whole story.

I think Romo has had tremendous success in the past when throwing the ball more. I think giving him more support certainly helps, but don't think he necessarily needs to have a diminished role in the offense. 2006, 2007, and 2011 are prime examples. With a better defense and more consistent running game, I think Romo can still be the focal point of our offense.

 

[DandyDon52]

In certain games and especially the playoffs teams need a strong run game, whether it is one back or more.
At certain times thy need to be able to run the ball effectively and the oc needs to call the runs at the right times.

In SB had Seattle just lined up and handed off to lynch 1 or 2 times they probably win the SB. They had the run game but chose not to use it.
So a team can have it and not use it correctly.
The year before Denver relied too heavily on the pass and Seattle shut that down and they could not or would not run, so they lost SB.

So a team doesnt need a 1 BC back run game, but they need a effective one and they need to know when and how much to use it.

If a team has it but does not use it or use it enough or correctly, it doesnt do them much good.
Sort of like Dallas in the GB game in 2013, they had it but JG did not use it enough or correctly.

Back to last SB, Seattle was not able to shut down the NE passing game like they did with Denver, and NE was effective when they ran, but still
Seattle should have won the game.
I would say Seattle also did not use the run enough in that game.

 

[Bleu Star]

The Cowboys aren't the Patriots and shouldn't try to be.

Also you just pointed out the the majority of the top 10 offenses in the NFL had what you would call a "bell cow" running back.

Exactly. I don't understand why we have to go here again but here goes (again...)

Our offense sputtered along providing us with false hope and 8-8 year after year while attempting to place the game on the shoulders of one Tony Romo. It wasn't until last year, when our focus finally shifted to a more balanced mindset with a greater emphasis on the run and the retirement of the "Tony's shoulders" philosophy, that our offense began to churn and destroy defenses with a clock killing mentality. We need that 25 plus carries per game from a bell cow to be successful. Going back to thinking Romo can go win more games than not is going to place us back closer to 8-8 and false hopes yet again... I don't hope I'm wrong because in my heart of hearts I know I'm right.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Top 10 offenses in the NFL (PPG)
Green Bay
Denver
Philadelphia
New England
Dallas
Indianapolis
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
New Orleans
Seattle

Teams in bold had a running back with over 1000 yards rushing

I don't think anyone will say that having a bell cow doesn't help your offense, but I think it should be pointed out that you can do things without having one (which isn't even to say that a runner on our team can't be that guy).

Denver had one of the best offenses in the league and their top running back had 849 yards.

The Patriots didn't have a single player break 500 yards.

I think the real question isn't whether or not the team can replicate last year's successful formula, but what the team can do with this years roster to be just as successful if not more so.

I definitely think the Cowboys are looking at the Patriots formula from last year, but thinking they can be more successful running the ball with the offensive line and running backs we have.

I think you look at our offensive weapons and the compare pretty well compared to the Patriots.

Is Gronkowski a better target than Witten? Absolutely he is, but I think Bryant cancels him out.

I think Witten is as good if not better than Edelman as a target.

The question is can Williams be as effective and as consistent as LaFell became. Comparing their career trajectory you would think Williams has the potential to become a better player.

I think Beasley gives us a lot of what Edelman gives us. I expect/hope to see him play a larger role in the offense this year, and I think part of that may have been why we didn't want to pay Murray. Cowboys made a hefty investment in him not to use him more.

I think Dunbar can be every bit as good as Vereen in the passing game.

Escobar is better than Tim Wright as well.

The biggest question is can this offensive line pass protect well enough to allow us to take our passing game to another level? And can our defense become the force it needs to be to change the tone of our games. I think it can.

There are many ways to slice an apple. Suggesting one is right over another is folly.

 

[DoctorChicken]

There are many ways to slice an apple. Suggesting one is right over another is folly.

Except trying to cut an apple with a bra. Doesn't work.

 

[Beast_from_East]

The Cowboys aren't the Patriots and shouldn't try to be.

Also you just pointed out the the majority of the top 10 offenses in the NFL had what you would call a "bell cow" running back.

Yea, I am scratching my head here because I must be missing something..................the OP is arguing that having a bell cow is not needed and then notes that the majority of the top 10 offenses in the NFL have a "bell cow".

He just contradicted his own argument.......................I must be missing something.

 

[jrumann59]

A 1000 yd back is really not that hard of an accomplishment 66yd/gm bell cow or not when you are closing in on 100yds/gm should be more the bell cow criteria. Most teams last year avg at least 77 yards per game. The top 10 rushing teams only two teams had a back with over 300 carries Phi and Dal. Everyone else was in the 250-ish range for their "lead" back

 

[Beast_from_East]

A 1000 yd back is really not that hard of an accomplishment 66yd/gm bell cow or not when you are closing in on 100yds/gm should be more the bell cow criteria. Most teams last year avg at least 77 yards per game. The top 10 rushing teams only two teams had a back with over 300 carries Phi and Dal. Everyone else was in the 250-ish range for their "lead" back

The problem is that McFadden has had over 1000 yards once in his entire career...................it apparently is not as easy as you are suggesting if 6 out of 7 times he never reached it.....................or he just flat out sucks.

Randle has looked good in limited carries, but Troy Hambrick averaged over 5 yards per carry as the backup also.............when he was made the starter in 2003, his averaged dropped to 3.5...........that is why backups don't automatically make good starters. Interestingly enough, when Hambrick went back to being a backup in 2004 his averaged shot back up to 4.5 and the one season he was a starter in 2003 ended up being the only season of his career with a YPC below 4.0.

That is why people need to tap the breaks with Randle, just because he has a good YPC as a backup does not mean he can maintain that as the starter. When teams start game planning specifically for you, it makes a difference...........ask Hambrick.

 

[rpntex]

The Cowboys aren't the Patriots and shouldn't try to be.

Also you just pointed out the the majority of the top 10 offenses in the NFL had what you would call a "bell cow" running back.

Is criteria for what determines a "bell cow" is faulty to begin with. Think about it… for running back to game 1000 yards in a season, he only has to average 62.5 yards per game. With an average YPC of 4.0, that takes only 250 carries in the season – or 18.75 carries per game.

Seriously… Does anyone consider less than 20 carries for game the work of a "bell cow"?

 

[Beast_from_East]

Is criteria for what determines a "bell cow" is faulty to begin with. Think about it… for running back to game 1000 yards in a season, he only has to average 62.5 yards per game. With an average YPC of 4.0, that takes only 250 carries in the season – or 18.75 carries per game.

Seriously… Does anyone consider less than 20 carries for game the work of a "bell cow"?

The problem is that not every player can even attain that level................they either get hurt or they cant average 4.0 so they need many more carries than you are suggesting..............McFadden has broke 1000 yards just once in 7 seasons.

In his case it is a combination of the two............he has shown that he cant stay healthy from week to week so there is a durability issue, and he has averaged just 3.3 YPC over the past 3 seasons.

There is a reason Dallas gave him $0 guaranteed money.........I am not busting his balls for no reason here, he has statistically shown that he cannot even be a 1000 yard back (with 7 yrs of data), despite how easy you are saying it is.

 

[Prossman]

There is a reason Dallas gave him $0 guaranteed money.........I am not busting his balls for no reason here, he has statistically shown that he cannot even be a 1000 yard back (with 7 yrs of data), despite how easy you are saying it is.

You also have to consider he had appx 7 different systems and coaches, 10 different starting qbs and last year the 28th ranked offensive line. The raiders have been a dumpster fire for years. All of that gives me hope that DMAC will take advantage of this , being his best opportunity of his career.

 

[Broges74]

You also have to consider he had appx 7 different systems and coaches, 10 different starting qbs and last year the 28th ranked offensive line. The raiders have been a dumpster fire for years. All of that gives me hope that DMAC will take advantage of this , being his best opportunity of his career.

Hope? Great plan going into a SB year. Let's "hope" one of these cast offs can be a lead back.