ProFootballWeekly: Cowboys may used Barber and Jones in same backfield

[tr1]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/post/Cowboys-may-used-Barber-and-Jones-in-same-backfi?urn=nfl,174699
Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:29 am EDT


The Dallas Cowboys are experimenting with the idea of playing Marion Barber(notes) and Felix Jones(notes) in the same backfield according to Pro Football Weekly.

According to the report it may not be only in traditional, two-back sets, either; Jones has the flexibility to split out and motion into or out of the backfield. And at tight end, the team has two plus pass catchers in Jason Witten(notes) and Martellus Bennett(notes).

According to Pro Football Weekly, Bennett, who is said to have matured a great deal in his first year with the team. In limited duty, Bennett gained more than 14 yards per catch and had four TD catches, most of them in the second half of his rookie season.

[tr1]

Lovely! They're both such good blockers!

:rotflmao:

[Roger.Staubach]

Why the hell wouldn't they experiment with this idea. A 3-year fourth grader could have come up with this idea.

[SWFLSkins]

Why the hell wouldn't they experiment with this idea. A 3-year fourth grader could have come up with this idea.

C'mon Roger, Jerry dun gradumacated. But hey it is Dallas, so it is news.

[Redskins:Victory_or_Death]

In breaking news, the Pope is Catholic.

[VA Cowboy fan]

Wow TR1 another spine chilling bit of news there you posted.....Yawn........

[Fred Jones]

Wow TR1 another spine chilling bit of news there you posted.....Yawn........

1. You don't have to read the article.
2. You don't have to comment on it either.

Perhaps a little puke sleep is in order for you. TR is just posting the latest information on the enemy.

[SWFLSkins]

Wow TR1 another spine chilling bit of news there you posted.....Yawn........

Well it is a holiday weekend and TO had no comment. Romo continued to play with Tigers balls long after the charity event was over. Also no Cowboys were arrested today.

[bobbee1011]

Lovely! They're both such good blockers!

:rotflmao:

I smell your fear at the thought of this combo. You can deny it all you want.

[Muzzah]

Also no Cowboys were arrested today.
Jerry's scouting room was empty.

[Zazzaro703]

Personally i don't see why the Redskins didn't try this more with Portis and Betts in the backfield last year. More formations for the opposing defense to have to study, prepare for, and recognize on the field cant be a bad thing right?

[Old Dominion Monarch 06]

Personally i don't see why the Redskins didn't try this more with Portis and Betts in the backfield last year. More formations for the opposing defense to have to study, prepare for, and recognize on the field cant be a bad thing right?

You're probably right, but I think the fact that Zorn apparently didn't have time to get all the plays he wanted out there didn't leave them with much wiggle room for creativity. I honestly think that's half the reason our offense was pretty flat in the ladder part of the season, there just wasn't that much for teams to figure out. I think that's going to be very different this season.

[tr1]

Fellas, without a lead blocker a scheme like this won't work.

[Mr. Jones]

Fellas, without a lead blocker a scheme like this won't work.

I'm willing to bet it'd be a passing formation since they're both good recivers out of the back field, or one of misdirection, fake handoff to Barber pitch out to Jones sort of thing.

Mind you, I'm pretty sure Barber's pretty capable of laying a block on a LB, I mean he's been known to abuse them when he's got 1 arm busy holding onto a football....

[Zazzaro703]

Fellas, without a lead blocker a scheme like this won't work.

I was thinking of it more along the lines of a pass play with Portis and Betts coming out the back with a 2 tight end set (Cooley, Davis) and Moss out wide. If Campbell was in shotgun one of those 5 would have to draw a favorable match up and make a play to get open. If they blitz one of those 5 would have to be open on a hot route. This could also open up lanes for a draw play if you could get all the linebackers moving outside worried about the TEs or a RB swing pass. RB slashes through a hole (Hopefully our line could produce a hole) for 5-10 yards.

[VA Cowboy fan]

1. You don't have to read the article.
2. You don't have to comment on it either.

Perhaps a little puke sleep is in order for you. TR is just posting the latest information on the enemy.


and you dont have to read my comment or reply to what I say either.........kind of a two way street.........


But I do have some late breaking news myself.........Jerry Jones had strawberry ice cream during his 4th of July party.....most people were expecting him to have Rocky Road, the "experts" thought that this was the biggest move he had did all off season

[Big Blue Joe]

EDIT: Should probably read all of the posts before I post next time.

[ConnSKINS26]

Well that's a novel idea, putting them both in the same backfield...no ****. Although I do wish Zorn would do more of this.

[sideshow24]

I'm willing to bet it'd be a passing formation since they're both good recivers out of the back field, or one of misdirection, fake handoff to Barber pitch out to Jones sort of thing.

Mind you, I'm pretty sure Barber's pretty capable of laying a block on a LB, I mean he's been known to abuse them when he's got 1 arm busy holding onto a football....

Do that while blocking and its illegal hands to the face.

[Big Blue Joe]

Do that while blocking and its illegal hands to the face.Didn't the NFL change the rule so that it's illegal even when carrying the ball, now?

[Mr. Jones]

Didn't the NFL change the rule so that it's illegal even when carrying the ball, now?

Yep, you can't get your hand on or under their facemask.

Their throat is fair game though, one of the few things Barber has ever said to the media.

[sideshow24]

Didn't the NFL change the rule so that it's illegal even when carrying the ball, now?

Wasn't a rule change, but a new emphasis on a rule already in place. As usual the league let Dallas get away with something for a couple years before penalizing it properly. ie- Irvin's push offs, Roy's horsecollars, and Barber's face punches.

[RedskinsTime]

**** the cowboys

[TD_washingtonredskins]

That could be a dangerous formation for defenses. I bet you Jones could blow past a LB or S matched up on him which could force defenses to allocate a CB to him. That would, in turn, potentially create a mismatch on one of their WRs.

Here's to hoping for failure, of course!

[sideshow24]

**** the cowboys

http://extremeskins.com/showthread.php?t=203223

[Roger.Staubach]

Wasn't a rule change, but a new emphasis on a rule already in place. As usual the league let Dallas get away with something for a couple years before penalizing it properly. ie- Irvin's push offs, Roy's horsecollars, and Barber's face punches.

there is a difference in these three examples.

Barber and Irvin were breaking the rules while Roy WAS playing within them.

I still don't think that horsecollar tackles should be banned. If the runner is dumb enough to continue to drive forward (versus letting the tackler take him down) then that is their problem.

Roy just happened to be exceptionally good at that particular technique...

[sideshow24]

there is a difference in these three examples.

Barber and Irvin were breaking the rules while Roy WAS playing within them.

I still don't think that horsecollar tackles should be banned. If the runner is dumb enough to continue to drive forward (versus letting the tackler take him down) then that is their problem.

Roy just happened to be exceptionally good at that particular technique...

Even before calling it a "horsecollar" they could have penalized it as unnecessary roughness. They called UR on Heyer when he decked Dockett while a play was in progress. It was a legal hit, but they stuck him with a penalty that took a touchdown off the board.

Had they wanted to, they could have penalized RW long before they did.

[Big Blue Joe]

there is a difference in these three examples.

Barber and Irvin were breaking the rules while Roy WAS playing within them.

I still don't think that horsecollar tackles should be banned. If the runner is dumb enough to continue to drive forward (versus letting the tackler take him down) then that is their problem.

Roy just happened to be exceptionally good at that particular technique...You could make the same argument about a face mask tackle.

[Roger.Staubach]

Even before calling it a "horsecollar" they could have penalized it as unnecessary roughness.

Do what? That's crazy.

Perhaps the reason they didn't call it was because it was in the rules. Like I said, the players who were tackled by Roy had every opportunity to go limp. They chose not to.


Horsecollar tackles have been going on for decades yet it was 'unnecessary roughness' when Roy did it?


Take of the blinders.