Official GDT: Cowboys @ Giants (No Chance)

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Do you guys buy the theory that Jerry was in the locker room at half time because he was ordering the QB switch?

If it's true, it was too little, too late...

(but it also means Jerry is more fit to coach this team than the staff we already have!)



The Cowboys are DOOOOMED!!!! Shaggy's cat is gloomy...

[Murphy3]

Originally Posted by FINtastic

I'm with Murphy here. I think we see a much different running game if Romo was in there. The last few weeks, it sure looked to me like offenses were selling out to stop the run because that was the only way the Cowboys could possibly beat them. I know if I were defensive coordinator and I was going against Brad Johnson, I wouldn't really worry about the Cowboys hurting me deep. If you can just completely forget about a team's most dangerous dimension, it makes it a LOT easier to shut down other facets of that team's game. Yeah the line isn't what it was last season, but I still think things get much better for the running game when Romo gets back.

And I'm not sure how exactly to put this, but is it possible that we overrate Barber just a little bit? I'm not trying to be critical of Barber here, but it seems like Barber is considered the feature back by the coaches, and I don't quite see that out of him when I watch the game. Barber to me just seems a little better when he's fresh, and that running style has to take a lot out of him. Also, less carries for Barber means we get a change of pace from someone else, and it exposes Barber to less of a pounding which would be good for his longevity. Yes, Felix being out hurts this strategy, but it really didn't seem to be happening even when he was here. And also, have we seen anything from Choice that says he doesn't deserve a few carries when he's the second back? All I see from Choice is him getting good chunks of yardage with every run, but for some reason it seems like the staff doesn't think he can play. I think he can play, and at the very least it could have given the Giants something different to look at and saved Barber some pounding.

The funny thing is we wanted to be a running-back-by-committee when we didn't have the personnel for it, and this year we finally have some pretty good backup running backs and our coaches refuse to really use them. I don't get it, and this is one of the many things that coaching staff does that absolutely confuses me. This is a small complaint today in that I don't think it would have changed the game all that much, but I'd like to see our rookies get some carries because I think both of them can play. In my opinion, using all of them does nothing but make the running game better and more efficient.

I like Barber..but I don't think he does enough busting it up in the hole. A few times recently, he passed up a sure 2,3,4 yards by bouncing it outside and getting him into trouble. He doesn't have enough speed to do this in my opinion. I'd rather have the 2nd and 7 or 8 than take the risk that it's going to be 2nd and 13.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

I like Barber..but I don't think he does enough busting it up in the hole. A few times recently, he passed up a sure 2,3,4 yards by bouncing it outside and getting him into trouble. He doesn't have enough speed to do this in my opinion. I'd rather have the 2nd and 7 or 8 than take the risk that it's going to be 2nd and 13.

I'm still not sure why we haven't used Tashard Choice more since Felix got injured...

Sure, he's a lot like Barber (a little faster though), but more than anything, he's a change of pace when what you're doing isn't working...


If we fire Wade Phillips, I want to see Jason Garrett's head role as well (consider this the beginning of my "Cowher-to-Dallas" campaign...)

[Murphy3]

Garrett has not been impressive this year. Too many times, I've been able to call the play out before the ball was snapped. You can see the draw coming out of the shot-gun from a mile away. When the other team is already playing 8 in the box, it's even worse than usual to telegraph your running plays.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

Garrett has not been impressive this year. Too many times, I've been able to call the play out before the ball was snapped. You can see the draw coming out of the shot-gun from a mile away. When the other team is already playing 8 in the box, it's even worse than usual to telegraph your running plays.

2nd down - Marion Barber runs for a 2-yard loss...

100% of the time!

[GermanDunk]

Is there a possibility to replace Bolllinger ?

[FINtastic]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

I like Barber..but I don't think he does enough busting it up in the hole. A few times recently, he passed up a sure 2,3,4 yards by bouncing it outside and getting him into trouble. He doesn't have enough speed to do this in my opinion. I'd rather have the 2nd and 7 or 8 than take the risk that it's going to be 2nd and 13.

Yeah, Barber definitely leaves me scratching my head every once in a while when he starts running horizontally (or even backwards) like he's Barry Sanders.

[alby]

12:38 PM Wed, Nov 05, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips


We gave Mike Jenkins an opportunity to explain his non-contact actions on Giants RB Derrick Ward's fourth-quarter touchdown run. The rookie didn't come across as a guy who regretted his decision.

"I was just waiting on the safety to make a play," Jenkins said. "It just looked different. I really can't explain it."

When pressed, Jenkins said he thought he might knock down LB Kevin Burnett if he cut Ward's legs out from under him. That would seem to be a better alternative than letting Ward prance into the end zone. Would he do anything different if that situation presented itself again?

"I'd say go get the tackle," said Jenkins, who is well aware that he's been criticized for avoiding contact over the last few days. "That'd be the right answer."

Well, it sure looked like he intentionally avoided contact. When asked if that was the case, Jenkins said, "That's what it looked like. That's your eyes. If that's what you seen, that's what you seen." And then he threw a teammate under the bus, too.

"I wasn't the only one there," Jenkins said. "Everybody's pointing it out like it was me, but there was a safety back there, too."

The safety was Courtney Brown, who has made a grand total of two tackles all season despite getting significant playing time. A wait on Brown to make a play could last more than a month.

CB Anthony Henry said some veterans got on Jenkins immediately after the play about his effort. Jenkins said nobody had said anything to him. Well, was his effort acceptable?

"Obviously not," Jenkins said, "because y'all are going to have your own opinion, no matter what."

---

Mike Jenkins is a disgrace to the star.

[Murphy3]

He's talented... He's young. He's not a horrible guy. Let's just hope that he's learned from his mistake.

[Dtownsfinest]

Yea if it was Ken Hamlin or another veteran i'd be more worried. But I honestly understand Jenkins explanation. I've been in similar positions before. Even though its a different sport i've seen guys do similar things in basketball. Like you ever seen a basketball player just sit there while a guy is driving to the basket? I don't think he's doing it to be lazy or that he doesn't care its just him thinking someone else is going to step up and make the play. In replay it just looks worse than it really was. The media is just looking for something to dog the Cowboys on.

[mkat]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

He's talented... He's young. He's not a horrible guy. Let's just hope that he's learned from his mistake.

agreed. talk about overreacting.

[alby]

He ain't no Deion. Play Scandrick

[Dtownsfinest]

What do you mean he's no Deion? How long did it take Deion to become Deion lol? You expect for Jenkins after a couple of games to be prime time? He just took a INT back for a touchdown. I can't believe that late missed tackle is getting more coverage than his INT.

[alby]

We both know that INT was about being at the right place at the right time, not because of his coverage skills. I like Jenkins, he is a great athlete with a bright future. But, he has not performed at a 1st round-caliber level IMHO, especially when you take into consideration Scandrick's play as a 5th (?) rounder.

[Dtownsfinest]

Originally Posted by alby

We both know that INT was about being at the right place at the right time, not because of his coverage skills. I like Jenkins, he is a great athlete with a bright future. But, he has not performed at a 1st round-caliber level IMHO, especially when you take into consideration Scandrick's play as a 5th (?) rounder.

It was a heads up INT. Its not the first we've had this season. But we haven't made them. We've had plenty of chances at INT's. Pac-Man himself has had atleast 2 dropped. So I don't take lightly what Jenkins did. It would've been a game changer had we had a offense worth a damn on Sunday. If Jenkins wasn't paying attention the INT wouldn't have been a gimmie as it looked. I'm not quite sure what you expect for a cornerback in his 1st year in the league. Running back is probably the easiest position to play coming into the league and even you see Darren McFadden having problems. So i'm not sure exactly why you'd expect a cornerback to come into the league and be a beast. When does that happen? He's made plays this year. He's been one of our best tacklers at the cornerback spot even though he did miss that last tackle in closing minutes. He's he had key deflections. I hear Scandrick has been good and yea he's been solid but he hasn't made the plays Jenkins has. He actually was ahead of Jenkins in the depth chart against the Cleveland Browns and now he's behind Jenkins. And let's not mistake Scandrick for a 4th or 5th rounder. The only reason he went that low was because of "character issues".

[Underdog]

Mike Jenkins is the best non-injured/suspended corner we have on the team this season...

(and he's an absolute speed demon on special teams - he's the only guy McBriar couldn't out-kick...)

[alby]

Agreed. Jenkins is a speedster. They are both pretty fast. =]

Jenkins 4.38
Scandrick 4.32

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by Dtownsfinest

What do you mean he's no Deion? How long did it take Deion to become Deion lol? You expect for Jenkins after a couple of games to be prime time? He just took a INT back for a touchdown. I can't believe that late missed tackle is getting more coverage than his INT.

The INT was a guess, it was a good guess but if Manning would have saw Burress' hand go up (to go deep) it would have been a TD the other way. Miss-communication on offense more than it was a great INT. IMO it wasn't a missed tackle, that was him giving up and not even attempting to do anything at all but ease up and watch him walk in. That can't happen, especially as a rookie trying to earn a spot and a name. Hopefully he will be fine but I would scale back his playing time to send a message.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by alby

Agreed. Jenkins is a speedster. They are both pretty fast. =]

Jenkins 4.38
Scandrick 4.32

And they're both going to be better after all this playtime they've gotten due to injuries - great draft, Jerry!

(and I'm not even including Felix Jones...)

[Dtownsfinest]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

The INT was a guess, it was a good guess but if Manning would have saw Burress' hand go up (to go deep) it would have been a TD the other way. Miss-communication on offense more than it was a great INT. IMO it wasn't a missed tackle, that was him giving up and not even attempting to do anything at all but ease up and watch him walk in. That can't happen, especially as a rookie trying to earn a spot and a name. Hopefully he will be fine but I would scale back his playing time to send a message.

Well I didn't state it was a great INT. I agree. It was heads up play. It wasn't as easy as you're making it though. Especially since Jenkins kept his eyes on the ball the whole way rather than following Burress. Had he did the latter it wouldn't have even been a INT. It was a missed tackle IMO. He's stated he didn't give up on the play. He assumed that someone else was going in for a tackle. That's what it looked like to me. Looked exactly like a guy who assumed someone was going to make a tackle and didn't and by the time he reacted someone got the tackle. It looked a lot worse than it really was. Its not an excuse though. He should never assume anything. Especially at cornerback. But by no means did he do it just because he didn't want to get dirty like some are stating. He's had a pretty good season. Not as good as Derek Ross' rookie season or Terrence Newman's but he's held his own. He's gotten burnt but he's learning from it.

[Dtownsfinest]

Originally Posted by Underdog

And they're both going to be better after all this playtime they've gotten due to injuries - great draft, Jerry!

(and I'm not even including Felix Jones...)

Yea Jerry could've easily just signed Pac-Man and called it a draft but he didn't. He went and actually drafted TWO cornerbacks. Where would we be without those two? I feel a lot better about letting Jenkins and Scandrick getting playing time than Jacque Reeves and Nate Jones. He's not a fan favorite in Houston right now lol.

[Murphy3]

Honestly, as a rookie, I'm happy with the job that he has done.

[FINtastic]

On the plus side, Romo is practicing again. Hopefully that means the last we see of Brad and Brooks all season.

[Underdog]

Make Or Break
Skins Might Be Season's Defining Game

link


IRVING, Texas - This much we know speeding towards Veterans Day.

The Cowboys are 5-4 with seven games left to play.

They are either, depending on how you interpret your glass, tied for third in the four-team NFC East or tied for last. And if you happen to subscribe to the glass half empty, then tell me this: If the Cowboys should beat the Redskins this Sunday and Philadelphia beats Cincinnati, and all three teams trailing the Giants are 6-4, does that make the Cowboys tied for second in the NFC East or tied for last?

The Cowboys currently are tied for the seventh-best record in the NFC, where four division champs and a total of six teams will qualify for the playoffs. At this current time, three of the six with better records lead their divisions, including the NFC East-leading New York Giants at 8-1, Carolina at 7-2 and Arizona at 5-3. Two of the three teams tied with the Cowboys at 5-4, Chicago and Minnesota, are also tied for their division lead.

The other three teams with better records than the Cowboys are 6-3, Washington, Tampa Bay and Atlanta, all just a game better.

So the Cowboys are tied for the seventh-best record in the NFC, a two-point loss and an overtime loss the difference between being where they are and tied for having the second best record in the conference. So close, but yet so far.

Life can be tough that way in the NFL. As you can see, the perceptive difference between being really good in this NFL and desperate for a victory is very narrow. The Cowboys now are the latter in this skin-tight NFC since they indeed lost that two-point game to the Redskins and the overtime game to Arizona.

But they are where they are, and as the veteran Zach Thomas will tell you, "There is no room for error."

For me, starting at 7:15 p.m. (CST) Sunday at FedExField, since the Cowboys already have lost to the Redskins, this will become one of those, well, look, it's hard to say must victories with seven games still to play and the conference so tightly wrapped, and it's probably a tad premature to say it's a win-or-else game, but . . . .

"This is as big a game as we've played this year," Jason Witten said Monday as the Cowboys returned to work after their off-weekend. "Got to be realistic with it. At this point, we realize there is little room for error."

So maybe we can say this is a really, really, really important game for the Cowboys to win, meaning this is a mus game if you will, just short of must.

Vitally important, but not totally definitive since there still are 26 games to be played among the teams in the NFC that stand between the 8-1 Giants and the 4-5 of New Orleans and Green Bay - meaning more losses to be had.

But at certain times during a season teams reach a seminal game, and for the Cowboys, in bad need of confidence with three injured starters expected to return Sunday, including quarterback Tony Romo, this to me is one of those games - pivotal to the rest of the season, one way or another.

And during my time around the Cowboys, I've seen those games occur. There was the 1986 season, the 6-2 Cowboys vs. the 6-2 Giants at Giants Stadium. Danny White broke his wrist, yet the Cowboys, behind Steve Pelluer, made a gallant stand that day, only to fall short by three, 17-14. The Cowboys would win only one more game the rest of the season. The Giants, they would not lose another game to win their first Super Bowl title.

There was that 1991 season, the Cowboys still looking for their first winning season since 1985. They were 6-5, having lost their last two and three of the past four, and heading into Washington to meet the undefeated Redskins. The Cowboys would win that game against the eventual Super Bowl champs, and four more straight to finish 11-5 and qualify for the playoffs.

The 1993 season was one of streaks for the defending Super Bowl champs. They won seven straight after losing their first two. But then they lost two straight, standing 7-4 with five games to play. Jimmy Johnson told his club they would have to run the table to get home-field advantage in the playoffs. As it turned out, they had to do that to just to win the NFC East.

Then there was the 1997 season, the 6-5 Cowboys going into Green Bay to face the defending Super Bowl champion Packers, who were 8-3 at the time. The Cowboys knew they had to win or else cede home-field advantage to the Packers. The game was tied 10-10 at halftime. The Cowboys would lose, 45-17, and would lose every game thereafter that season.

So here come the 5-4 Cowboys to face the 6-3 Redskins. A Cowboys' victory would leave the two teams tied for no less than second place in the NFC East and at the end of the day no more than one game behind as many as two non-division leaders.

But a Cowboys' loss would leave the Cowboys 5-5, two games behind the Redskins, and worse, three games back when it comes to head-to-head tiebreakers.

A win would finally even their conference record at 4-4, always a prime tiebreaker when it comes to deciding playoff berths. But a loss would leave the Cowboys 3-5 in the NFC with four to play. No team in the NFC at this point with a winning record has more than three NFC losses.

So my drift here should be caught.

This be a must win, and then so will be at least four more of the next six to reach the 10-win benchmark normally required to make the playoffs.

"It's too hard to look at it that way," Witten said of 10 victories being a must. "But if you win this game, it's a totally different situation than if you lose it."

Thomas, too understands this game's importance, but also realizes the slim difference between 5-4 and well, as he says, "Other cities (at 5-4), they are talking playoffs," Thomas suggests. "Like in Miami, they're talking playoffs.

"We have to get that same excitement going."

And when it was suggested the Cowboys have to win at least 10 to create that playoff excitement, Thomas was hesitant to put a number on it, saying, "Only way you can think like that, it's got to be 11.

"I've been 10-6 before and not made the playoffs. I guarantee you 11-5, I don't know if there has ever been any team 11-5 and hasn't. But I don't look at it like that. I just know we got to get to playing better . . . fast."

Yeah, like starting this Sunday, the Cowboys playing the first of five teams remaining among their final seven with a winning record - and three of those five are either in first place or currently tied for first place (Pittsburgh, the Giants and Baltimore).

Since the Cowboys first went to the playoffs in 1966 with a 10-3-1 record, they have never missed the playoffs when winning 10 games, not in a 14-game season and not in a 16-game season. All four 10-6 finishes in club history have earned the Cowboys a playoff spot, as did all four 10-4 finishes and the one 9-5.

But go 9-7, and things get dicey. Only once did 9-7 land the Cowboys in the playoffs, that occurring in 2006, while 9-7 in 1984 and 2005 earned them a big Heisman from the NFL. And two-games above .500 in the 14-game 1974 season (8-6) wasn't good enough to earn them a playoff spot either.

Yet get this, 8-8 in 1999 got them in, as would have 8-8 in 1990 if they could have won either of their final two games they didn't during that 7-9 season. In fact that year, they came within a 24-yard Morten Anderson field goal in the final two seconds from going to the playoffs at 7-9, the Saints beating the Rams in the absolute final NFL game of the season on Monday Night Football to claim the final spot at 8-8.

So with this record stuff, you just never know; too much football still to be played. But if you like playing the percentages, then the Cowboys got to get cuttin', and as Thomas said, "Fast!"

"If we get the sixth win against Washington, that's the one we're worried about," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said when asked about needing to win at least 10. "You don't know where the number is going to be . . . the only thing you can control is what you do, so we got to control it."

Starting Sunday . . . with the Redskins, by golly.



Romo Throwing With Zip

It's one thing for the Cowboys to have their two-time Pro Bowl quarterback returning to practice. To have him performing near his best is even better.

Wade Phillips said Tony Romo was throwing passes with velocity during Monday's practice, which must have been a welcomed sight after three weeks of Brad Johnson taking the first-team reps, and a limited Romo throwing last week. Romo practiced with a splint to guard the fifth finger on his throwing hand, which he fractured in the overtime loss at Arizona on Oct. 12.

When Romo has participated in practice while wearing the splint before, his passes appeared to have more wobble than usual. Today, the tight spiral returned.

"Romo is better and better," Phillips said. "Last week he was OK. Today he was a lot better, I think. He had more zip on the ball. He felt more comfortable. He's still taking snaps - didn't seem to be a problem. It's looking better and better for him as far as getting back to where he was."

Romo has said he has experienced pain on some throws, including the 15-yard out route, but it is something he can deal with. Others require less use of the fingers and snap on the ball. At this point, though, it doesn't appear Romo will be limited by any finger issues come Sunday night, and there's hope he can play at a high level.

"Looked like it to me today, yeah," Phillips said. "He threw a lot of really good passes today, had a lot of zip on them, threw the deep ball well, threw a lot of routes really well."



Portis 50-50

With rookie Felix Jones (hamstring) sitting out Monday's practice, the Cowboys have an important part of their running game that must be considered questionable. Luckily for them, so do the Redskins.

Clinton Portis, who has gashed the Cowboys for a combined 225 yards in his last two games against them, missed Washington's practice Monday because of a sprained knee. Portis injured the knee early in Washington's Week Nine loss to Pittsburgh, but finished the game. The Redskins did not practice at all last week, enjoying their bye, but Portis did undergo treatments, and the pain has apparently gotten worse.

Redskins coach Jim Zorn on Monday said Portis has a bone bruise to his femur, as well as a sprain. Given that, he put the back's chances of playing at 50 percent. Officially, he is day-to-day.

"We need to get the pain out of the knee and see how he progresses along," Zorn said. "I would say there's a 50-50 chance. I'm hoping he would be better than that . . . It would be a major issue for us. He has been a tremendous asset to our football team. He's a driving force."

The numbers suggest that as well. Portis is second in the league in rushing with 995 yards on 200 carries this year, 20 yards back of the league leader, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson. He has seven touchdowns and, beginning in Week Four against the Cowboys, had five games of over 120 rushing yards.

Portis' primary backup is Ladell Betts, though he is having knee issues of his own. He practiced on a limited basis Monday after having missed Washington's last three games.



What's The Hold Up?

After announcing that Brad Johnson would be relegated to emergency quarterback duty and Brooks Bollinger would ascend to No. 2 on the depth chart, the Cowboys went in search of a new holder for field goals and extra points.

Patrick Crayton's name was bandied about because of his strong hands, as was that of punter Sam Paulescu and even Bollinger himself, though he had never done the job before. Well, as of Monday, the Cowboys still haven't settled on anyone. At the beginning of the season, Mat McBriar was the backup holder to Johnson, though that option went out the door when he was placed on Injured Reserve.

Wade Phillips said he wanted to be completely comfortable with who the holder will be, which might mean the team takes a longer-than-expected look at all the candidates. He even mentioned a possible scenario where Johnson keeps the job and remains on the 45-man active roster - virtually unheard of for a third quarterback because of the need to maximize the contributions of each player.



Short Shots

The Redskins will have a new cornerback for Sunday's game, the newly-signed DeAngelo Hall, who said of his first opponent Monday, "That's real special because it's obviously a fierce rivalry. To be a part of it and jump in full steam, it's definitely going to be exciting." . . . Jason Witten will play Sunday with extra protection for his fractured rib for the second straight game, but said he's feeling better in practice . . . Leonard Davis summed up the Valley Ranch vibe best. While a hot topic on plenty of minds was the help the Giants gave the Cowboys by beating Philadelphia last night, Davis echoed the team's sentiment by saying, "We can't really worry about the other teams that we're not playing. All we can worry about is what's in front of us."

[alby]

Scandrick will be starting in the slot, Jenkins benched.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by alby

Scandrick will be starting in the slot, Jenkins benched.

Nick Eatman: "We didn't expect Orlando Scandrick to play so well, actually earning a starting spot now on the nickel, even with Terence Newman returning."


Looks like Scandrick is stepping up in a big way...

[mkat]

Originally Posted by alby

We both know that INT was about being at the right place at the right time, not because of his coverage skills. I like Jenkins, he is a great athlete with a bright future. But, he has not performed at a 1st round-caliber level IMHO, especially when you take into consideration Scandrick's play as a 5th (?) rounder.

well, for what it's worth, TO hasn't played like TO, Greg Ellis hasn't played like Greg Ellis, the O-line hasn't played like the O-line, the D-line minus Ratliff hasn't played up to their potential....and the list goes on.

[u2sarajevo]

If Jenkins played after last Sundays performance I would puke.

[alby]

^ man of reason

[DirkFTW]

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

If Jenkins played after last Sundays performance I would puke.

ChuckNorrisApproved!

[Murphy3]

I don't have a problem with Scandrick getting the nod..not at all. Although I think it'll be sooner than later that we'll see Jenkins starting ahead of Henry.

[Underdog]

More By Committee
Barber Can't Do It Alone, Felix Needed, Bad

link


IRVING, Texas - Not trying to be greedy here, but the Cowboys need to get four players back this week.

Just getting Tony Romo back under center should be like an eight-year-old getting his first bike on Christmas morning. But forgive the Cowboys if they want a few more presents this week, too.

Like, Kyle Kosier and Terence Newman back in the lineup. Those two should help for a couple of reasons. Not only are they simply better than the backups who have been occupying their spots, but we're talking about a couple of experienced vets. And the more guys who you can bring with you into a "really-need-to-win" environment like they're going to face Sunday in Washington, the better.

But I'm sorry, those three just aren't good enough. They'll certainly benefit from the return of Romo, Kosier and Newman.

But this team needs Felix Jones, too.

The offense needs him. The special teams units need him.

Marion Barber needs him.

Say what you want about Felix Jones' role on this team. You could argue the big plays in a limited time - like the 98-yard kickoff return against the Eagles, the 60-yard run for a touchdown in Green Bay or the 33-yard touchdown run around the edge against Cincinnati.

You can also say that there must be a reason why the Cowboys were so reluctant to use him when he was healthy. Like the zero offensive touches against Washington. Or just three carries in the first three quarters against Arizona, in a game Jones suffered this hampering hamstring injury in the first place.

We all see that Felix Jones needs to be out there in some way. He needs the ball in his hands and he's even shown he can be effective without it, like in that first Redskins game. Jones might not have touched the ball on offense, but on one offensive play he went in motion from the backfield, taking away a linebacker and a safety, which left an open lane for Jason Witten to haul in a first-half touchdown.

Defenses are aware of Felix Jones. They're starting to recognize when he's on the field. Yet, he still finds a way to be productive.

We're talking about an 8.9 yard-per-carry average. He has just two catches for 10 yards. And before he was injured, he was ranked right at the top of the league with a 27.1-yard kickoff-return average.

He's touched the ball 48 times for 710 yards. That's just an average of 14.79 yards every time he gets his hands on the ball. Everyone, and yes that includes every offensive coach on this Cowboys' staff, knows he's weapon.

So there has to be something more.

The first guess would be pass blocking, where we've all seen here in the last month just how important that is, if we already didn't know. All it takes is one hit, or one strip of the ball, that could keep you out of action for a month.

So if Felix Jones isn't 100 percent up to speed in blitz pick-ups, then it certainly should cause any offensive coordinator to be reluctant putting him out there.

Let's not mistake this. If Felix Jones is healthy, he's going to play. He's going to be involved in some way, but it just hasn't been enough it seems.

Then again, isn't that the norm around here?

Everyone loves the backups. Ok, not so much on the quarterbacks right now, but there have been plenty of times when fans and media have been screaming for the backups.

At running back, it has been even more of the case.

Of course, for a while, no one wanted Emmitt Smith off the field but as his career carried on, players such as Sherman Williams and Troy Hambrick were feeling the love. Neither one of them were too impressive as the starter.

I can remember fans wanting to see more of ReShard Lee when he was backing up Eddie George in 2004. And, of course, the last two years there weren't many fans that weren't turning hoarse in yelling for Marion Barber to replace Julius Jones.

We love the backups, yet rarely do they step right in and out-perform the previous starter.

The jury is still out on Barber this year. He's rushed for 665 yards and is on pace for a career-high for one season, which he set last year with 975. Barber also has 264 receiving yards.

But with his style of running and the pounding he takes, you have to wonder how long this guy can hold up. In nine games, Barber already has 205 touches. Last year, he had 248 in all 16 games.

That could be one reason why we're not seeing the same type of player we did last year. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season, but just 3.9 this year. That's quite a difference. He's obviously not as fresh. He's being counted on way too much.

Surely, the Cowboys were hoping to give some of the load to Felix, but even when he got hurt, they should've used their other rookie a little more.

No, Tashard Choice is not Felix Jones. He's probably not going to score from anywhere on the field and he's not a dynamic kick returner. But can he provide a spark off the bench somewhere near the middle of the game when defenses are getting worn down and you've got a fresh-legged rookie back just looking to making a difference?

Again, playing Choice is probably similar to the dilemma in getting Felix Jones in there a little more. You're dealing with a rookie and he's limited in pass protection.

But rookies are playing at running back all over the league. And by this time of year, shouldn't they learn? Shouldn't they be able to contribute in some way?

It boggles the mind the Cowboys have this 1-2 punch last year in Julius Jones and Barber, but yet this year, with Barber and Felix Jones and even Choice, they're hesitant to take Barber off the field.

But he needs the help. He can't do it by himself.

Not many backs can do it anymore? We're seeing LaDainian Tomlinson splitting carries now and from the looks of things in Atlanta where Michael Turner is tearing it up, maybe they should've even shared the ball a few more times the last few years. This year, Tomlinson and the Chargers are relying on little Darren Sproles for a few carries here and there.

Adrian Peterson needs his Chester Taylor. Clinton Portis needs his Ladell Betts. Turner needs his Jerious Norwood and yes, big Brandon Jacobs needs his backup help - Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw.

So Barber needs his help. If Felix Jones isn't healthy or can't play, then let Choice have a few snaps.

But in this week of returns - the entire team from the bye week and possibly the funk it has been in for the last month, along with Romo, Kosier and Newman from injury, why not ask for Felix Jones, too?

[alby]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

I don't have a problem with Scandrick getting the nod..not at all. Although I think it'll be sooner than later that we'll see Jenkins starting ahead of Henry.

I agree, with Henry sliding over to FS.

[FINtastic]

^ He makes a valid point. I was thinking the exact same thing after the game today.