HapHaszard
August-23rd-2010, 05:35 PM
http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/08/23/running-on-empty/
The NFC East, long considered the rugged NFC East, hasn't been so rugged this preseason, that is if rugged means running the ball effectively.
The division that used to feature Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett and John Riggins and Pro Bowl backs Tiki Barber, Brian Westbrook, Larry Brown has been mostly running on empty this month. Philadelphia is averaging a robust 5.3 yards per carry and is leading the NFL with 168 rushing yards a game. But Dallas (68.3 yards), Washington (82.5) and the New York Giants (96.0) are all easily in the bottom of the league on the ground.
True, it's only preseason and the starters have played less than half the minutes so far, but that's true for every NFL team. Admittedly, the Cowboys are missing left guard Kyle Kosier and right tackle Marc Colombo, the Eagles have been minus center Jamaal Jackson and guards Todd Herremans and Nick Cole, Giants guards Rich Seubert and Chris Snee have been banged-up and the Redskins have three new starters up front, but it's not as if the struggle to run the ball is a newfound phenomenon.
While the Cowboys finished seventh in the league in rushing en route to winning the NFC East in 2009, the Giants ranked 17th, the Eagles 22nd and the Redskins 27th. Somewhere Stephen Davis, Wilbert Montgomery, Joe Morris and Herschel Walker were crying about the downturn on the ground in the division in which they used to reel off 1,000-yard seasons.
Marion Barber and Felix Jones, who teamed for 1,617 yards for Dallas last season, have 40 yards on 14 carries in three games this month. New York bruiser Brandon Jacobs sat out two nights ago with a sore neck and Ahmad Bradshaw played after third-stringer D.J. Ware. LeSean McCoy, who has replaced Westbrook as Philadelphia's No. 1 back, is averaging 3.6 a carry.
click on the link above for the rest of the article
The NFC East, long considered the rugged NFC East, hasn't been so rugged this preseason, that is if rugged means running the ball effectively.
The division that used to feature Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett and John Riggins and Pro Bowl backs Tiki Barber, Brian Westbrook, Larry Brown has been mostly running on empty this month. Philadelphia is averaging a robust 5.3 yards per carry and is leading the NFL with 168 rushing yards a game. But Dallas (68.3 yards), Washington (82.5) and the New York Giants (96.0) are all easily in the bottom of the league on the ground.
True, it's only preseason and the starters have played less than half the minutes so far, but that's true for every NFL team. Admittedly, the Cowboys are missing left guard Kyle Kosier and right tackle Marc Colombo, the Eagles have been minus center Jamaal Jackson and guards Todd Herremans and Nick Cole, Giants guards Rich Seubert and Chris Snee have been banged-up and the Redskins have three new starters up front, but it's not as if the struggle to run the ball is a newfound phenomenon.
While the Cowboys finished seventh in the league in rushing en route to winning the NFC East in 2009, the Giants ranked 17th, the Eagles 22nd and the Redskins 27th. Somewhere Stephen Davis, Wilbert Montgomery, Joe Morris and Herschel Walker were crying about the downturn on the ground in the division in which they used to reel off 1,000-yard seasons.
Marion Barber and Felix Jones, who teamed for 1,617 yards for Dallas last season, have 40 yards on 14 carries in three games this month. New York bruiser Brandon Jacobs sat out two nights ago with a sore neck and Ahmad Bradshaw played after third-stringer D.J. Ware. LeSean McCoy, who has replaced Westbrook as Philadelphia's No. 1 back, is averaging 3.6 a carry.
click on the link above for the rest of the article