Too much Barber, not enough Felix?

[LittleBoyBlue]

Yeah, we can determine a season long strategy from one half of football. We should all work in the NFL, it is easy. Just play Madden.

Oh my...

I Apologize. Its there a forum on here where I can get approval on a thread title/concept before I post it?

:laugh2:

 

[casmith07]

:madden:

 

[fannypack]

This is pretty much the perfect analysis. I don't think there is anything here anyone can argue about.

And, as the season wears on, it will probably play out like this. I hope.

Agree with it myself. It'll be interesting to see how Garrett and CO use them.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Felix keeps showing a nose for the end zone so I don't think you have to automatically take him out in red zone areas.

Now the redzone would be a nightmarish time to have him and MB3 in the game together.


Anyways Tashard never showed me a nose for the endzone or short yards. (im not ripping the guy either because I think he is fantastic)

Pfft. You must not have watched the games in which Tashard played. He knows all about the end zone.

 

[KJJ]

This is pretty much the perfect analysis. I don't think there is anything here anyone can argue about.

And, as the season wears on, it will probably play out like this. I hope.

I think eventually it will play out like that. The more big plays Felix makes the harder it's going to be to take him off the field. With TO gone Felix is really our only big play weapon. He's a threat anywhere on the field. I see another Tony Dorsett in him. He's a big play waiting to happen. He's shown he can run inside and get to the perimeter. He has tremendous vision and cutting ability. He split two defenders the other night with one cut and was gone for over 40 yards. The Cowboys need to come up with a package to have him and Barber out there at the same time.

 

[Four]

its too soon to jump to conclusions with what we have with the running backs.

Frankly, I like Barber as the starter and hope he gets the bulk of the carries with felix getting about 10-15 touches a game and the rest of the time being a decoy.

Choice can ride the pine other than for resting Barber. Save his legs just in case.

 

[Hostile]

Oh my...

I Apologize. Its there a forum on here where I can get approval on a thread title/concept before I post it?

:laugh2:

I said you couldn't post something? I must have missed that when I was rolling my eyes at the silliness of the topic. I have no idea how my hands could have got the words out there to where my eyes can't see it. I got skills.

If you can't handle your every idea not being applauded I can't help you.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Don't get me wrong I like Barber but he's simply not what you want as a feature back. MB was terrific in the role he had prior to last season.

His legs appeared dead by the second half.

When Barber is the focal point of our running game the Cowboys lose their explosiveness because he's a ball control back who lacks big play ability.

Not a feature back.
Agree on previsous role.
Not same when taking bulk of carries - legs dead.
Cowboys are not the same - agreed.

This is pretty much the perfect analysis. I don't think there is anything here anyone can argue about.

And, as the season wears on, it will probably play out like this. I hope.

I hope so too.

Agree with it myself. It'll be interesting to see how Garrett and CO use them.

Yes, hope they go back to what really worked. Plus Felix is that Great homerun threat. We need him in there.

I said you couldn't post something? I must have missed that when I was rolling my eyes at the silliness of the topic. I have no idea how my hands could have got the words out there to where my eyes can't see it. I got skills.

If you can't handle your every idea not being applauded I can't help you.

Well thank you Hos, but it certainly isn't my idea. Its been the strategy of the Cowboys since last season. When Felix was healthy he didnt get many opportunities. But when he did, he found the end zone.

Agreed, the topic is silly. Just because the Cowboys were/are doing exactly what I threaded about... I dont know why I posted this thread.

 

[Hostile]

preseason!!!!!

:madden:

Well thank you Hos, but it certainly isn't my idea. Its been the strategy of the Cowboys since last season. When Felix was healthy he didnt get many opportunities. But when he did, he found the end zone.

Agreed, the topic is silly. Just because the Cowboys were/are doing exactly what I threaded about... I dont know why I posted this thread.

How about explaining to me why these reactions to your original post didn't get the same kind of response back from you that mine did? They're not trying to silence you but I was?

That's a load of crap.

 

[Doomsday101]

Is that the strategy going forward here?

I dont like it if it is.


I think they should chase Felix for most of game and then we drop the hammer on the with "trying" to tackle Barber.

Didn't Barber make the pro bowl in that EXACT role??

I think this is pre-season nothing more. I expect that we will see formation in the reg season where both Felix and Barber are in together. Right now this is just bread and butter plays

 

[zrinkill]

Personally I want Felix in on every down, regardless of the situation.

So do I.

Sorry I love Barber ..... but I do not think he should get more carries than Felix.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Start MB3 mix in Felix and TC then go with whoever is hot after that

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

How about explaining to me why these reactions to your original post didn't get the same kind of response back from you that mine did? They're not trying to silence you but I was?

That's a load of crap.

Sorry my friend.

Your responses aren't making any sense?
I will chalk it up as, "it's just me" and leave it at that.


Go Cowboys.

 

[Hostile]

Sorry my friend.

Your responses aren't making any sense?
I will chalk it up as, "it's just me" and leave it at that.


Go Cowboys.

I knew that way back when you posted the red comments in your sig line. It's a one sided thing I assure you that.

 

[thisisepic]

Felix is just an absolute beast, he needs to be in more than just 5-8 plays a game. Which I think he will be after all it is only preseason and the plays that we have called have been less than spectacular and its still getting the job done.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Yeah, we can determine a season long strategy from one half of football. We should all work in the NFL, it is easy. Just play Madden.

Do you really trust Garrett to utilize all 3 tailbacks? Right now I surely do not. Remember when we didn't even use Felix against the Skins in week 4? I think we'll use quite a bit of Felix in the regular season because he's probably too good to not use. But I get the feeling we barely use Choice at all, which will be a problem if we need to give Barber a breather or if we face a defense that Barber and Felix can't crack and maybe using Choice could, but Garrett won't think of it that way.




YAKUZA

 

[Doomsday101]

Do you really trust Garrett to utilize all 3 tailbacks? Right now I surely do not. Remember when we didn't even use Felix against the Skins in week 4? I think we'll use quite a bit of Felix in the regular season because he's probably too good to not use. But I get the feeling we barely use Choice at all, which will be a problem if we need to give Barber a breather or if we face a defense that Barber and Felix can't crack and maybe using Choice could, but Garrett won't think of it that way.




YAKUZA

The backs are not going to get equal carries and chances are Choice will get fewer than Barber or Felix. Giants use 3 backs as well and the 3rd back was not getting many carries as the other 2 that is just the way it is.

 

[Hostile]

Do you really trust Garrett to utilize all 3 tailbacks? Right now I surely do not. Remember when we didn't even use Felix against the Skins in week 4? I think we'll use quite a bit of Felix in the regular season because he's probably too good to not use. But I get the feeling we barely use Choice at all, which will be a problem if we need to give Barber a breather or if we face a defense that Barber and Felix can't crack and maybe using Choice could, but Garrett won't think of it that way.




YAKUZA

This is going to come across offensive to someone. I know it from long experience when I am asked my opinions on stuff and I respond strongly that someone is offended and will forget everything else I have ever said positive and take this one negative personal. I do not necessarily mean you will Rich, I'm just predicting the future.

I honestly do not care whether people "trust Garrett" or not. I could give a flying crap if I knew how to deliver it. It means less to me than I care to explain, but I will try.

Yes, I expect the team to utilize every player to the best of their ability. Will it be enough for each player to satisfy every fan? Utterly impossible. So I can't fathom why in the hell I should care. Fans are unreasonable. The only way to satisfy fans is to design plays where every player touches the ball on every play. Therefore I don't care.

Someone will always want one player or another to get the ball more and it will be Garrett's fault for not doing it. Forget the fact that other players may be better suited in a given situation. He will always carry the Tecmo label with some fans and frankly I could give a crap. I've long dismissed those opinions as garbage.

This team could go 19-0 and someone would gripe that he didn't get the ball to Miles Austin enough and utilize him to his full strength. Or someone else will whine because we kept Ogletree and then used him the same amount we used Stanback. Forget the fact that 5th WRs rarely get a bunch of catches in a season or even get used at all. He will be neglecting a rare and special talent.

I'm over the Commanders game and not using Felix Jones. I have no idea what the reason was and I don't get the game plan, but I refuse to be stupid and believe that game is an indication it is going to happen with every player over and over and over and over. I've been reminded of that game so many times that I've come to expect it as a response to doubts about Garrett.

Trust him. I don't care. Don't trust him. I don't care. It's a free country and you can feel however you wish to feel about Jason Garrett. My opinions of him have not changed from the first moment we hired him. They aren't going to.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I think they'll find the right balance, each week, to approperiately use the backs to best attack the defense. Some weeks it will likely mean more Felix and Barber. Some weeks it will mean more Barber than Felix. Some weeks it will be more Felix early and Barber late and vice versa. I'm not worried about this offense, at all.

 

[sonnyboy]

Don't get me wrong I like Barber but he's simply not what you want as a feature back. MB was terrific in the role he had prior to last season. In 06 and 07 he averaged 4.8 a carry and scored 24 TD's. He made the pro bowl in 07 spitting carries. He had more yards rushing in 07 as a backup than he did as the starter last season and he stayed healthy. The biggest problem with MB as a feature back is he doesn't have great speed or vision and is not able to get to the outside and turn the corner affectively. He's not able to make defenders miss so he plows into them. He only averages 2.6 a carry when he's bounced outside. The Giants unveiled the blueprint for defending him in our playoff game in 07. Barber torched them in the first half but NY stacked the box in the second half forcing him to bounce outside and he went nowhere. His legs appeared dead by the second half. He sure didn't have the same pop he had early in the game. Washington did the same thing to him a couple of weeks prior to our playoff game in the season finale and Barber finished that game with a franchise low -1 yard. He had 5 games last year where he averaged under 3 yards a carry and he was healthy in 3 of those games.

When Barber is the focal point of our running game the Cowboys lose their explosiveness because he's a ball control back who lacks big play ability. The Cowboys don't score many points when he's the feature back. He's not a homerun threat which causes defenses to crowd the line and risk his 10-15 yard bursts because they know he can be run down from behind. After 2 preseason games he again is averaging under 4 yards a carry. Defenses can't crowd the box with Felix in there or they risk seeing the back of his jersey as he's running to the endzone. He puts fear in defenses and Barber doesn't. Felix makes one defender miss and it can be see you later! He makes a big play every few touches but for some reason the Cowboys are under using him and over using Barber. If the Cowboys keep pounding Barber early in games he'll continue averaging less than 4 yards a carry and he'll probably come up with another injury by the end of the season. He's never going to be a 1200 yard back. He hasn't had a 1000 yard season yet and probably never will. With his rockem sockem billy goat style he won't stay affective another 2 years if they keep banging him early in games. Barber seeks out contact and that's not conducive to longevity.

Felix Jones with his speed, vision and cutting ability can do in one play what it takes Barber 10 plays to do. Felix can be another Tony Dorsett. He's a much better player than Julius Jones. It was Julius not living up to his end that caused the Cowboys to make the switch to Barber as the starter. Barber was gaining big yards as a backup because he was worked into games and the Cowboys picked his spots. The rotation kept him fresh and he was able to destroy winded defenses in the 4th quarter. Barber is finding out as the starter the holes aren't as big early in games against fresh legged defenders. Barber is a BEAST in short yardage, redzone, goalline and as a closer. If I were the Cowboys I would go back to using him the way they did prior to last season. He was tremendous in that role. I would use a three headed monster attack starting Felix and rotate him with Choice. I would use MB in short yardage, redzone, goalline and to pound defenses into submission in the second half. I think that would be a great strategy and would allow us to use all the talent we have at the RB position to the best of their ability. Plus this type of rotation will keep our backs fresh and would probably limit injuries.

Great post. It's funny how every time I see an analysis of Barber's game, it reads like a FB.

My hope is that that is the plan and we won't see it much if at all in the preseason.

I love Bennett and want to see 2 TE's as our base formation. But I also love the idea of Barber seeing significant snaps at FB with Jones in the game.

No doubt in my mind Barber could excell in a FB role for maybe 20-25% of our plays when we're not running 2 TE's or 3 WR's.

Barber is much stronger than your average 220lb back. He relishes contact and has demonstrated both a willingness and ability to block.

Now at 220lbs I know he'll seldom blow up 250-260lb LB's, but he'll seldom whiff on his block. He has quick feet and good balance.