Last week, I voiced my displeasure with the Cowboys' idea that they were going to go with a 3-Back set. We see on Saturday Night that for the most part, that was simply posturing as they pretty much stayed with Felix as the all-purpose guy, Choice as the 3rd Down guy with the occasional drive to spell Felix, and Barber returned to fill his role as a short yardage and clock eating specialist.
It was not a full 3-man rotation which is what had me all worked up. The work load was spread as you would want it, with Felix on the field for 37 plays, Tashard 27, and then Barber returned for the first time since Thanksgiving Day and he chipped in 12. To his credit, he had 2 huge runs out of these power sets and was able to administer some ground and pound.
That might be something to keep in mind in the offseason; If you are moving on without Barber - and I think that is the wise thing to do - who is able to be your short yardage/ground and pound guy? It doesn't seem to be in the skill set of either Felix or Tashard (although Tashard has more of a knack I think) to be able to go get those extremely tough yards.
Barber is no Emmitt, but, he does have the ability to break through the line on 3rd and 1 better than anyone else on the roster. They may have to get creative in the offseason to make sure this hole is filled, because a short yardage back is not glamourous, but you sure need one a few times a game.
TOTAL SNAPS FOR RBs VS Cardinals (76 plays)
| Half | 24-Barber | 28-Jones | 23-Choice |
| 1st | 8 | 18 | 14 |
| 2nd | 4 | 20 | 13 |
| Total | 12 | 37 | 27 |
TOTAL SNAPS FOR RBs SEASON TO DATE (966 Total Plays)
| Half | 24-Barber | 28-Jones | 23-Choice |
| WK 1 | 28 | 28 | 13 |
| Wk 2 | 31 | 33 | 7 |
| Wk 3 | 30 | 17 | 10 |
| Wk 4 | 23 | 51 | 1 |
| Wk 5 | 24 | 33 | 0 |
| Wk 6 | 13 | 42 | 0 |
| Wk 7 | 22 | 38 | 8 |
| Wk 8 | 9 | 27 | 13 |
| Wk 9 | 15 | 31 | 0 |
| Wk 10 | 25 | 27 | 5 |
| Wk 11 | 22 | 44 | 6 |
| Wk 12 | 0 | 32 | 31 |
| Wk 13 | 0 | 37 | 21 |
| Wk 14 | 0 | 28 | 40 |
| Wk 15 | 12 | 37 | 27 |
| Total | 254 (26%) | 505 (52%) | 180 (18%) |
In case this is your first time to check these numbers, this is all about snaps on the field - not touches or run plays. This is merely intended to see who is on the field and who is on the sideline for the Cowboys offense.
Bob Sturm is host of BaD Radio on The Ticket 1310 AM Mondays through Fridays at 12-3 p.m. He also hosts The Ticket's Cowboys pregame show. Follow Bob on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bobanddan Bob offers his exclusive analysis after games on SportsDayDFW.com
Read all of Bob's posts at this link:
http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/bob-sturm
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