Matt Mosley of ESPN Radio and FSSW wrote a piece on Felix Jones, dubbing him finally ready for the starting RB role on the Dallas Cowboys. His coach and teammates are confident in his 2011 physical and mental shape.
I’m not so sure.
marion barber
The Cowboys finally did something they haven’t done since I was a senior in high school, win a playoff. The 34-14 win over the Eagles was the first playoff win for the Cowboys since 1996. It would seem that, for the most part, the demons of the past are going away from this team.
The Cowboys went to Washington and got themselves a shutout, beating the Redskins 17-0. In the process, they snatched up the last available playoff spot in the NFC (thanks Giants!).If the Cowboys are going to advance in the playoffs, there are some issues that need to be ironed out in the run game.
Swoon over? For one week, at least, you bet! The Cowboys stunned everyone but themselves by taking down the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints at the Superdome, 24-17.
For the first time in a while, the Monster, two-thirds of it at least, played a significant part in the win, totaling 32 carries for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as 2 catches for 21 yards.
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.
OOPS! The worst case scenario for the Cowboys is in full effect as Dallas fell to the Giants 31-24 at the Meadowlands Sunday evening. Along with that, the Eagles won Sunday, which puts them in a tie for first in the NFC East with the Cowboys with the Giants a game behind and holding the tie-breaker with the Cowboys. There are several area to look at in this loss and the ground game is one of them, as the “Monster” finished with 23 carries for 45 yards and 6 receptions for 20 yards. I think its safe to say you’re not gonna win many games averaging less than 2 yards a carry.
WOW! For one week at least, the Monster got its groove back, finishing with 24 carries for 194 yards and one touchdown to go along with 4 receptions for 42 yards in the Cowboys’ 24-7 Thanksgiving Day thumping of the Oakland Raiders. The Monster was responsible for two of the biggest plays of the game and and had a much bigger impact on this game than in previous weeks.
We got our wish this week as extra emphasis was placed on the run game against the Redskins. What did we get for having our wish fulfilled? A lot of yards on the ground (149 total) but not much scoring. In fact, the once-vaunted Cowboys offense was once again held to a single touchdown on the day. Thankfully, Washington’s offense has been pathetic all year and that continued in a 7-6 Cowboys victory at the Death Star Sunday afternoon.
