When KRLD-FM asked Jerry Jones about Marion Barber’s role, he gave a very candid and (believe it or not) accurate response. According to ESPN.com, Jerry said,

I think the real question is, should he be finishing rather than beginning? In his Pro Bowl year, where he had his best year, [Barber was] finishing the game. If you recall, Julius Jones started the game. We injected the quickness of his speed there early.

I’ve only been saying this since Week 3. Why does Jerry understand the problem better than his head coach? Here’s what Wade had to say on the subject:

He’s able to carry the load. We want the power guy early in the game to start out to physically attack the other team, I think, and you want the same thing at the end of the game. Plus, he’s our best player. He’s our best back. You want your best player out there to start the game and finish it.

Let’s give Wade the benefit of the doubt and assume he didn’t actually intend to call Marion Barber their “best player”. Let’s move on to the REAL issue at stake here: you have a player who was a Pro Bowler when he was positioned as the closer. You gave him starter money and now you play him as a starter. And since the change, he’s not been nearly as effective. This is basic logic, Mr. Phillips. You compare the past with the present and you go back to what worked! This is not rocket science.

If you actually watched the damn games you were supposed to be coaching instead of arguing how much your players are “winners”, you might actually realize that starting Marion Barber isn’t working. It’s not the best use of his skillset.

The way it should be

Starter: Tashard Choice. I’ve been saying this since the season began. Give me Tashard to start. Will he break away for 20, 30, 40 yard runs? Maybe. Maybe not. He does have better speed than Barber in the open field. He has better moves and toughness than Felix. If anything, Choice is the closest thing to an all-around running back. I think Red Jesus would be pleasantly surprised with Choice’s production.

Specialty / Backfield Receiver: Felix Jones. Is there ANY doubt that Felix Jones could do EXACTLY what Brian Westbrook has done for the Philadelphia Eagles? They’re practically the same player. Give Felix a few handoffs throughout the game, but keep him in the backfield and swing him out into the wing as your last option receiver. He will make some plays. Guaranteed.

Closer: Marion Barber. IT JUST MAKES THE MOST SENSE. Barber played his best pro ball when he closed behind Julius Jones. That was the scenario that enamored all the fans and coaches and caused Jerry to cough up the big money. I don’t care what kind of logic Wade Phillips thinks he possesses. On this, he is flat wrong. You don’t find a gem and pay a star and then change up his approach. That’s just stupid.

Put Barber back in the closer position and let him punish tired defenses in the Second Half.

Unconvinced? Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News put together some game changing stats.

Here’s Barber’s average quarter-by-quarter breakdown from 2009:

First – 4.1 carries, 18 yards
Second – 3.4 carries, 12 yards
Third – 2.5 carries, 8.3 yards
Fourth – 3.7 carries, 22.5 yards

Here’s Barber’s average quarter-by-quarter breakdown from 2007:

First – 2.1 carries, 9.3 yards
Second – 3.1 carries, 14 yards
Third – 2.6 carries, 12.6 yards
Fourth – 4.9 carries, 25 yards

You can clearly see that the 4th Quarter has always been his best slot for yards per carry. And the 2nd Quarter barely edges out the 3rd for next best. But it’s clear as day that Barber is historically weakest in the 1st Quarter. The stats don’t lie.

Take your “best player starts” mentality and go coach little league.

It’s game time! Welcome to DallasProSports.com on this fabulous Sunday morning! This week the Seattle Seahawks square off against your Dallas Cowboys in the great non-factor known as Cowboys Stadium. Cowboys fans will get the treat of seeing Julius Jones back in action, and see whether their team made the right decision in letting Julius go.

With all this Three Headed Monster goodness, it’s easy to forget the state of the union just a few short years ago. Julius Jones of Notre Dame was the Cowboys’ starting running back , and Marion “The Barbarian” Barber of Minnesota was making a name for himself as the league’s biggest bruiser. Julius had a sub par year or two and we the fans called for his head on a platter.

Last year, Anthony compared Marion and Julius‘ performances each week to give us an accurate picture of how these two backs compare when both positioned as a team’s #1 running back.

2009 Stats

So far this year, Julius Jones has 74 carries for 290 yards and 1 touchdown. Jones averages 3.9 yards per carry.

Marion Barber has rushed 72 times for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. Barber averages 4.8 yards per carry.

Health

Both running backs have seen injuries this year. But based on pure numbers, you have to think that Dallas made the right decision.

The Irony

The irony is that Barber now finds himself in Julius’ shoes, with many fans and commentators calling for Dallas to trade Barber and focus the running game around Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. The difference being that Barber is actually producing decent numbers, but the fans have tasted something even better and are now growing dissatisfied with simply good Barber. And the fans who aren’t calling for a trade wish Red Jesus would figure out that Barber is most effective as a 2nd half bruiser. Yes, he’s now making starting running back money. That’s Jerry’s fault. Play to win. Maximize your players’ skills. Don’t play to the salary.

I’ll write more on that later. Right now, I’m just looking forward to seeing Julius try to prove himself to the Dallas crowd. Too bad his offensive line is going to get pushed around and abused. My prediction? Though I want to see Julius and Marion square off, look for Miles, Felix, or Tashard to steal the show.

The final Thanksgiving day game at Texas Stadium came and went without much in the way of drama or controversy. That’s what happens whena team as talented as the Cowboys, who appear to finally be hitting their stride, takes on a sad-sack outfit like the Seattle Seahawks.

I was confused as to why Cowboy fans felt the need to boo Julius Jones. Yeah, he may have had some words as he walked out the door, but did he really say or do anything while he was here to justify booing the man? I don’t think so.

As for the long-awaited matchup between Marion and Julius, well, there wasn’t much of a matchup. Sure Marion had a tocuhdown, but ouside of that, he wasn’t doing a whole lot, amassing 10 carries for 32 yards and 1 catch for 13 yards, with 1 touchdown rushing. Barber left the game early with a toe injury and is day-to-day as the Cowboys prepare for Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Julius had another day to forget. On the Seahawks opening drive of the game, Jones put the ball on the ground and the Cowboys recovered, allowing Dallas to blow the game open. He wasn’t much of a factor the rest of the way, as he had 11 carries for 37 yards and 2 fumbles (1 lost). Once the Cowboys built a pretty good sized lead, there wasn’t much need for the Seahawks to run the ball.

This week, a HUGE game for the Cowboys as they head up to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers and Mother Nature, while the Seahawks continue to play out the string against what is sure to be an ornery bunch of Patriots in Seattle.

Stats through Week 13
Marion Barber rushing: 225 carries, 870 yards, 7 TDs
Julius Jones rushing: 152 carries, 674 yards, 2 TDs

Marion Barber receiving: 47 catches, 366 yards, 2 TD
Julius Jones receiving: 14 catches, 66 yards, 0 TDs

Fumbles
Marion Barber: 6 (2 lost)
Julius Jones: 4 (2 lost)

Info gathered from Yahoo! Sports and The Weather Channel

It’s Turkey game time, which means one thing: Julius is back! The Seahawks come limping into Texas Stadium for Thursday’s Thanksgiving battle following Sunday’s home loss to the Redskins.

To say Julius Jones was a non-factor in that game would be doing non-factors a disservice. Jones was scheduled to start, but only received 2 carries for 21 yards, which were his only touches for the day. Jones seems to have fallen out of favor with outgoing coach Mike Holmgren, in what was supposed to be a “prove it” kind of season for him after winning the starting role to begin the season. Injuries and other factors have lessened the impact Julius has on the Seahawks offense to the point that he can barely get on the field now. Jones is hopeful he will have some kind of impact on Thursday’s game, but we’ll have to see if Holmgren gives him the opportunity.

Meanwhie, the Cowboys were at home Sunday, taking care of business against the 49ers. Marion Barber had a solid, if unspectacular effort in the game, carrying 19 times for 59 yards and catching 7 passes for 50 yards. The 49ers did a good job of bottling up the Cowboys running game, making Barber a virtual non-factor for most of the game. Tashard Choice was able to get a few carries this game, whivh will hopefully start lightening the load Barber as the Cowboys make their push toward the playoffs.

This week is Turkey Week, as the Cowboys play host to the Seahawks Thursday afternoon. If you can’t go to the game, be sure to grab your grub and huddle around the set for a day full of football!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Stats through Week 12
Marion Barber rushing: 215 carries, 838 yards, 6 TDs
Julius Jones rushing: 141 carries, 637 yards, 2 TDs

Marion Barber receiving: 46 catches, 353 yards, 2 TD
Julius Jones receiving: 14 catches, 66 yards, 0 TDs

Fumbles
Marion Barber: 6 (2 lost)
Julius Jones: 2 (1 lost)

Info gathered from Yahoo! Sports and the Dallas Morning News

The Cowboys and Seahawks both welcomed back their regular starting quarterbacks, with the hopes that the offenses would get back on track. One team did, the other, not so much.

Tony Romo‘s return to Cowboys allowed Marion Barber to be more of a threat running the ball and did it ever show. Barber finished the game with 114 yards on 24 carries with 1 touchdown and added 39 yards on 6 receptions. Barber’s running was crucial late in the game against the Redskins as he was able to lead the way in grinding out the clock for a 14-10 victory in Washington.

Meanwhile, in Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck returned to the Seahawks, but the results weren’t quite the same as they lost to the Cardinals 26-20. Julius Jones had another day to forget as he rushed 10 times for just 19 yards, caught a pass that was good for -5 yards and lost his first fumble of the season. For the Seahawks’ sake, hopefully Jones is able to work out whatever issues he is having in the offense.

This Sunday, the Cowboys are at home for a high-noon showdown with the 49ers while the Seahawks host the Redskins.

Stats through Week 11
Marion Barber rushing: 196 carries, 779 yards, 6 TDs
Julius Jones rushing: 139 carries, 616 yards, 2 TDs

Marion Barber receiving: 39 catches, 303 yards, 2 TD
Julius Jones receiving: 14 catches, 66 yards, 0 TDs

Fumbles
Marion Barber: 6 (2 lost)
Julius Jones: 2 (1 lost)

Info gathered from Yahoo! Sports

Not much happened this week, as has been the case for much of the season with these two. The Cowboys and Marion Barber had a much needed bye week while the Seahawks, as predicted in this very space last week, fell to the Dolphins.

The Cowboys will be as healthy as they’ve been all season heading into the game at Washington, which will hopefully open things up more for Marion. As the weather gets colder and dicier, the running game will be that much more important as the Cowboys try to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Down in Miami, Julius Jones and the Seahawks got wildcatted by the Dolphins on their way to a 21-19 loss. Jones ran 16 times for 88 yards and also caught 2 passes for 2 yards. He scored no touchdowns and did not fumble. It appears that Matt Hasselbeck will start for the Seahawks Sunday, so we’ll see if that wil help boost Julius’ production.

This week, the Cowboys travel to the nation’s capital to take on the hated Redskins on Sunday Night Football while the Seahawks welcome back Matt Hasselbeck as Seattle hosts the NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals (that felt as weird to type as it does to say).

Stats through Week 10
Marion Barber rushing: 172 carries, 665 yards, 5 TDs
Julius Jones rushing: 129 carries, 597 yards, 2 TDs

Marion Barber receiving: 33 catches, 264 yards, 2 TD
Julius Jones receiving: 13 catches, 71 yards, 0 TDs

Fumbles
Marion Barber: 5 (2 lost)
Julius Jones: 0

Info gathered from Yahoo! Sports

Once again, what a difference a week makes. Last week both the Cowboys and Seahawks got much needed victories. This week, they both got smacked back down to reality.

And that reality is that these are two worthless franchises at the moment.

Does it even matter what Marion Barber and Julius Jones are doing for their respective teams? Because in all honesty, it’s not adding up to a whole lot.

Sunday evening in the Meadowlands, Barber was held in check by the New York Giants as the Cowboys were on the wrong end of a 35-14 whipping that could have been much worse. Marion carried 19 times for 54 yards (that’s 2.8 per carry) while he caught 1 pass for -12 yards. That’s right negative 12 yards on a reception. It was that kind of day for the Cowboy “offense”. Once again, the offensive line failed to give Barber a chance to even hit a hole as he was consistently met in the backfield by Giants defenders. The offense as a whole is a mess and hopefully Romo’s return will begin to sort out some of the issues.

Meanwhile in Seattle, the Seahawks were getting worked over by the Philadelphia Eagles, 26-7. Julius carried 10 ties for 41 yards while catching 1 pass for 4 yards. The Seahawks, like the Cowboys, are currently decimated with injuries to key offensive positions, namely quarterback and wide receiver. Seneca Wallace is doing what he can, but he is unable to get anything going for the Seahawks. As a result, opposing defenses are able to tee off on the Seahawks running game. Don’t expect things to get much better for the Seahawks and Julius Jones until Matt Hasselbeck is able to return at quarterback.

This week, the Cowboys get a much needed bye week while the Seahawks head east to take on those pesky Miami Dolphins for a noon kickoff. We all know West Coast teams fare in noon kickoffs, so let’s just give this one to the Dolphins already.

Stats through Week 9

Rushing
Marion Barber rushing: 172 carries, 665 yards, 5 TDs
Julius Jones rushing: 113 carries, 509 yards, 2 TDs

Receiving
Marion Barber receiving: 33 catches, 264 yards, 2 TD
Julius Jones receiving: 11 catches, 69 yards, 0 TDs

Fumbles
Marion Barber: 5 (2 lost)
Julius Jones: 0

Info gathered from Yahoo! Sports

What a difference a week makes. In situations where both teams needed victories, the Seahawks and Cowboys came through.

The Cowboys and Marion Barber were able to escape with a hard-fought 13-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barber had a rather pedestrian effort against the stout Bucs defense in picking up 71 yards on 25 carries. He also added 29 yards on 6 receptions. Barber did not get in the end zone but he didn’t fumble either. Marion was involved in a couple of big plays in this game, including a 3rd down run near the end of the 1st half in which he was horse-collared by Ronde Barber (no relation).

The penalty kept the drive alive and led the Cowboys lone touchdown of the game. As much as I like seeing Marion Barber dish out punishment with each of his carries, I would like to see rookie Tashard Choice get some of the workload until Felix Jones is able to return. I worry that at this pace, Marion may not have much left at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Julius Jones and the Seahawks enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon in San Francisco with a 34-13 win over the 49ers. Jones and Mike Holmgren seem to have worked out their differences, but that doesn’t mean Julius had much to do with spoiling Mike Singletary’s head coaching debut. Jones had all of 9 yards on 6 carries and added 22 yards on 2 receptions. Jones, like Barber, also had no touchdowns and no fumbles on the day. Jones’ backfield mate, fullback Leonard Weaver caught 4 passes for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns as he burned the Niners for 43 and 62 yard touchdowns. We’ll see how Julius handles what appears to be a lessened rolein the offense as the season progresses.

Big game for the Cowboys this week as they travel to the Meadowlands to face the Super Bowl champion Giants while the Seahawks return home to face the Eagles.

Stats through Week 8

Rushing
Marion Barber rushing: 153 carries, 611 yards, 5 TDs
Julius Jones rushing: 103 carries, 468 yards, 2 TDs

Receiving
Marion Barber receiving: 32 catches, 276 yards, 2 TD
Julius Jones receiving: 10 catches, 65 yards, 0 TDs

Fumbles
Marion Barber: 5 (2 lost)
Julius Jones: 0

Info gathered from Yahoo! Sports and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

That Thanksgiving Day game between the Seahawks and Cowboys look less and less enticing with each passing week. Both teams suffered resounding road losses in which the backup quarterback for each team started.

Marion Barber and the Cowboys had all kinds of issues in a stunning 34-14 loss to the once-lowly Rams. Barber had possibly the quietest 100 yard rushing day in a long time as he ran 18 times for 100 yards and an opening drive touchdown. He also caught a pass for 13 yards and had a costly fumble near the end of the 1st quarter which led to a Rams field goal. The 100 yards rushing is a bit deceiving because 35 of those yards came on one play, meaning that for the rest of the game, Barber rushed 17 times for 65 yards. Barber putting the ball on the ground is turning into a issue, as he fumbled for the fifth time this season, losing his second. The way this team is performing right now, the last thing the Cowboys can afford is the star running back putting the ball on the ground. This is something that needs to be corrected soon.

Sunday night, Julius Jones and the Seahawks had a truly putrid offensive showing, amassing just 176 yards total offense in a 20-10 loss to the Bucs. Jones accounted for 42 of those yards on just 7 carries and added 1 reception for -5 yards, meaning he netted just 37 yards for the game. Hey, at least he didn’t fumble! Jones eems to be frustrated with his role, because, according to the Bellingham Herald, Julius began to air out his frustration about the lack of offense and directed some of his criticism at head coach Mike Holmgren. Jones went to Seattle to be the feature back and with the injuries at quarterback, you would think he would more chances to be just that. After getting just eight touches in a road game in which Seneca Wallace is your starting quarterback has to be a bit disturbing for Jones. Definitely a situation to keep track of there.

This week, the Seahawks stay on the road as they take on the Mike Singletary-led 49ers, while the Cowboys come home to face the Bucs at high noon.

Stats through Week 6

Rushing
Marion Barber rushing: 128 carries, 540 yards, 5 TDs
Julius Jones rushing: 97 carries, 459 yards, 2 TDs

Receiving
Marion Barber receiving: 26 catches, 247 yards, 2 TD
Julius Jones receiving: 8 catches, 43 yards, 0 TDs

Fumbles
Marion Barber: 5 (2 lost)
Julius Jones: 0

Info gathered from Yahoo! Sports and the Bellingham Herald

Oh boy.

I needed some time to recover after a horrible weekend of football viewing. First, my Sun Devils get shut out at USC then, well, we know what happened to the Cowboys Sunday and it hasn’t gotten much better since then.

At least Marion Barber had a decent showing in the game in the desert, rushing 17 times for 45 yards and catching 11 passes for 128 yards and a HUGE 70 yards touchdown reception with 2:00 left in the 4th quarter. The Cowboys had trouble getting the ground game going against the aggressive Cardinals defense, but Barber was able to make a big play in the passing game to help put his team in position to have a chance to win.

Meanwhile, Julius Jones and the Seahawks continued their slide as the fell to the Packers 27-17. It was a struggle offensively for Seattle, as Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace were both inactive, leaving third-stringer Charlie Frye as the Seahawks starter. Jones got 12 carries for 44 yards, caught no passes and scored no touchdowns in the game. The Seahawks stand at 1-4 and it would be hard to imagine this team repeating as NFC West champions.

The Seahawks go east again for a Sunday night showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while the Cowboys visit the Rams Sunday for a noon kickoff.

Stats through Week 6
Marion Barber rushing: 110 carries, 440 yards, 4 TDs
Julius Jones rushing: 90 carries, 417 yards, 2 TDs

Marion Barber receiving: 25 catches, 234 yards, 2 TD
Julius Jones receiving: 7 catches, 48 yards, 0 TDs

Fumbles
Marion Barber: 4 (1 lost)
Julius Jones: 0

Information gathered from Yahoo! Sports