Who is the short yardage back?

[nalam]

I'm almost as worried about this fine detail, as I am about PK. Do you think for one second that Jimmy would have entered a promising season like this one with two (2) obvious loose ends? I still believe that the kicking situation is going to cost us the division and/or critical playoff seeding.

Dont know about short yardage , but goal line , Vaughn can be attached to the hip of a OL and can be carried across the goal line , LOL !! Kiddddd…

 

[_sturt_]

The player to watch might be LAC's Elijah Dotson. He had a big weekend vs. LAR, and is making a case for the Chargers to keep 4 RBs like they did last season.

But not because Dotson would be attractive to the Cowboys, but because Chargers writers believe if they keep Dotson, they'll be letting go of Zander Horvath... who you should think-of as approximately everything many of us liked about Hunter Luepke, except, he's actually been good enough to make a 53-man and play. There's strong suspicion that the new Chargers OC... Moore, I think is his name... might not be all that interested in utilizing a FB.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Short answer: Whoever has the ball in short yardage situations and can pick up the yards. The days of having a bruising Larry Czonka or Mike Allstott type back are in the past.

Just my opinion. But the days of a “short yardage” back are fading. Most NFL RBs these days have to be multi-dimensional.

A between the tackles RB (or FB) bruiser is a great addition to the *base* offense to go with a RB/WR hybrid.

The bruiser has to be considered disposable and play 110% violently.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Dont know about short yardage , but goal line , Vaughn can be attached to the hip of a OL and can be carried across the goal line , LOL !! Kiddddd…

 

[xwalker]

I'm almost as worried about this fine detail, as I am about PK. Do you think for one second that Jimmy would have entered a promising season like this one with two (2) obvious loose ends? I still believe that the kicking situation is going to cost us the division and/or critical playoff seeding.

1: If it is a problem, they can easily acquire a short yardage back. Some teams don't even carry a true short yardage back.

2: Rico Dowdle weighed in at 222 to start camp (6-0, 222).

3: Did you watch Deuce Vaughn? He finds holes when none appear to exist.

4: Tony Pollard is not a small RB. Now 6-0, 215. Being around Zeke just made him look skinny...


Having said that, if they can trade for AJ Dillon (6-0, 250), I'm all-in.
- He's much more than a short yardage back. Good receiver and any downs RB.

 

[Vanilla2]

Dakota

 

[Whyjerry]

Did Luepke even get in last week? I've heard zero buzz about him.

Watch tonight.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Short answer: Whoever has the ball in short yardage situations and can pick up the yards. The days of having a bruising Larry Czonka or Mike Allstott type back are in the past.

Just my opinion. But the days of a “short yardage” back are fading. Most NFL RBs these days have to be multi-dimensional.

Never say never, my friend.

 

[MapleLeaf]

I was listening to the Break today and Eatman seems to think Deuce could do it. He said something to the effect of, "Near the goal line, It's going to take the 2nd level of the defense 2-3 seconds to even locate Deuce due to his height." Sounded like a joke but I don't think it was meant to be.

I'm concerned with putting him in the goal line scenario.

That's a lot of banging going on there. I get that he could possibly squeak into a seam, but often players are submarining the line and things are clogged uptight.

If he is in at the one yard line I am looking at spread and beating the D with motion and misdirection.

If it is headbashing I'm looking for Luepke.

 

[MapleLeaf]

McCarthy is going to do it himself

 

[kskboys]

1: If it is a problem, they can easily acquire a short yardage back. Some teams don't even carry a true short yardage back.

2: Rico Dowdle weighed in at 222 to start camp (6-0, 222).

3: Did you watch Deuce Vaughn? He finds holes when none appear to exist.

4: Tony Pollard is not a small RB. Now 6-0, 215. Being around Zeke just made him look skinny...


Having said that, if they can trade for AJ Dillon (6-0, 250), I'm all-in.
- He's much more than a short yardage back. Good receiver and any downs RB.

6-0/215 can be small. It's all about build. Polly isn't built to run between the tackles.

 

[DanTanna]

A "short yardage back" went out of style the same time the drop kick did.

 

[DuncanIso]

He's been healthy for weeks. His injury was 7 months ago.

How much speed did he lose though?

No way he’s 100 percent after a freak injury like that.

 

[T-RO]

2002 Pre-injury = 4.1 average ... post-injury = 3.4 average (about a 20% decrease)

I tend to do the math and argue with myself before I make rash accusations... tends to allow me the pleasure of claiming the high and solid ground for my conclusions, and concurrently allows me the pleasure of avoiding having to endure people contorting things later on to fit with their preferred conclusions. But that's just me. I can't tell anyone else how they should or shouldn't operate, of course.

1. You falsely claimed in a previous post that Zeke was just as good as ever pre-knee injury in 2022. Zeke's 4.09 YPC in the first 8 games (pre-injury) crushes that notion.


2. As for Zeke's further drop off...The big thing that happened mid-season wasn't Zeke's injury, but Steele's injury, which occurred in game 13:
First 12 Games / Games 13-17
Pollard dropped from 5.8 / 3.4.
Zeke dropped from 4.2 / 3.0

 

[charron]

I thought leupke might be the guy but he hasn't gotten on the field much. I'm guessing coaches haven't liked what they seen.

 

[T-RO]

The player to watch might be LAC's Elijah Dotson. He had a big weekend vs. LAR, and is making a case for the Chargers to keep 4 RBs like they did last season.

But not because Dotson would be attractive to the Cowboys, but because Chargers writers believe if they keep Dotson, they'll be letting go of Zander Horvath... who you should think-of as approximately everything many of us liked about Hunter Luepke, except, he's actually been good enough to make a 53-man and play. There's strong suspicion that the new Chargers OC... Moore, I think is his name... might not be all that interested in utilizing a FB.

Chargers are my AFC team and I know Zander. You want him...you can have him.

Zander averaged 2.0 yards on 4 carries. 0 Rushing TDs. Superstar!

 

[_sturt_]

1. You falsely claimed in a previous post that Zeke was just as good as ever pre-knee injury in 2022. Zeke's 4.09 YPC in the first 8 games (pre-injury) crushes that notion.

You keep doing this... if you want to respond to what I said, stop shortarming it... discuss not just the part that you want to dispute, but the whole of what I said. In this case, you either didn't read, or you avoided speaking to the explanation for why Zeke's number would naturally be suppressed as 2022 got started.

I'm going to give you the benefit of a doubt it was the former, not the latter, but regardless... these disingenuous replies aren't doing your integrity scores any good.

2. As for Zeke's further drop off...

That's fine, and point well taken. It certainly didn't help. Hopefully, though, you aren't trying to suggest by bringing that up that the knee injury had no effect, though (?). Between the DET injury (10/23) and his next game (MIN, 11/20), he had a month off. So it was no small thing, and that he continued to use the knee brace through the rest of the season is empirical indication he was not 100%. Indeed, there were times, such as during the Dec PHI game, that it was a pronounced issue.

 

[_sturt_]

Chargers are my AFC team and I know Zander. You want him...you can have him.

Zander averaged 2.0 yards on 4 carries. 0 Rushing TDs. Superstar!

Let's be clear... I don't fancy myself a Will McClay Jr. here. It's not me who wants him. And it's not that the Cowboys necessarily want him. The only thing I've suggested is that the same motivation that would have determined they wanted to go get Luepke and sign him to one of the top 3 bonuses... if Luepke doesn't distinguish himself... could lead reasonably to interest in Horvath, who I'm sure you know (and I only do because I've been reading up) turned some heads at times last season in San Die... er... LA. It's not me wanting anything. It's not me predicting anything. It's me observing fact 1 and fact 2, and noting that "here's something that reasonably could happen."

 

[big dog cowboy]

How much speed did he lose though?

No way he’s 100 percent after a freak injury like that.

Probably didn't lose any. Why should he? These guys are professionals who train and take care of their bodies every day.

From everything that has been reported, he is 100% and ready to roll.

 

[_sturt_]

I thought leupke might be the guy but he hasn't gotten on the field much. I'm guessing coaches haven't liked what they seen.

I'm thinking he's going to get some snaps tonight. But if he doesn't, that almost has to be a really bad sign for 2023. Practice squad bound.