Good read on Marion Barber III
From Nick Eatman/ Dallas Cowboys.com
IRVING, Texas - Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells has nicknames for many of his players. Some of them are quite flattering, while others might be more embarrassing for the players.
But second-year running back Marion Barber doesn't have any problems with Parcells' latest tag for him:
"The Closer."
No, Parcells isn't asking Barber to go three-up and three-down in the ninth. But in a football sense, he's looking for the same results.
"I think it's good to have a closer," Parcells said. "Whenever I've had good teams, I've always had a closer."
With the Cowboys already clinching a playoff berth, their first since 2003, and needing a victory Monday against the Eagles (4 p.m. CST) to win their first division title in eight years, it's starting to look more like the Cowboys are indeed a good team.
It's also quite apparent that Parcells and the Cowboys are turning to Barber in the fourth quarter when games are on the line.
"Whenever my name is called, I'm going to be ready," Barber said. "That's the most important thing - whether I'm closing or the third-down (back). But I don't really even think about being in the game late."
But that's when Barber has done the bulk of his damage.
While Julius Jones has rushed for a career-high 1,019 yards this season, Barber has started to collect more attention. Not just because of his 5.2-yard average, which should be commended considering the amount of carries he gets around the goal line, or his 13 rushing touchdowns, but just his aggressive running style has started to raise questions about why Barber isn't the Cowboys' starting tailback.
However, Parcells has consistently said all year long, dating back to training camp, he wanted to use a two-back system involving Julius Jones and Barber - in that order.
"No, I'm not going to change it," said Parcells, who has tried to keep Barber as the third-down back, goal-line back and certainly the primary ball carrier late in the fourth quarter with the lead. "I told you I think having a closer is important. I think Marion's in a good role. He's productive in that role pretty consistently."
That was never more apparent than in the Cowboys' 38-28 win last Saturday over the Falcons, in which Barber rushed for 55 of his 69 yards in the second half. But it was the fourth-quarter drive in which the Cowboys marched 80 yards in 11 plays, eating up more than five minutes of game clock, that ultimately did the Falcons in.
After five straight passes by Tony Romo to start the drive, the Cowboys pushed the ball out near midfield. And that's where Barber went to work, carrying the ball six straight times, including the game-clinching touchdown - his second of the night - to give the Cowboys a 10-point lead with just over two minutes to play.
"I think it was big," Barber said of that particular drive. "Especially when were able to get it to T.G. (Terry Glenn) and T.O (Terrell Owens) and that really opened up the run. Then the big fellas up front really did a good job."
Barber wasn't too bad himself. He ran with a little extra power on that drive, spinning off defenders, stiff-arming would-be tacklers and then even having the presence to stay in bounds near the sideline with an attempt to keep the clock running.
It's those types of little things that Parcells said is uncommon for such a young player in his second year in the league.
"He's a very smart player," Parcells said. "He's one of those guys that just knows the game. He understands football and understands what it takes to win. You could see last year that he just gets it. He does a lot of things well."
And Parcells can't exactly say he was surprised by that. Parcells said Barber's head coach at the University of Minnesota, Glen Mason, told him he would be a big fan of Barber, who learned a lot about the game from his father. Marion Jr. played seven seasons in the NFL as a running back for the Jets.
"He said, 'You'll like this guy,'" Parcells said of Mason. "As soon as they start with that, they know me and they know, so they're giving me good information. And I've known Glen for a long time so I can ask him very poignant questions, everything he told me is exactly like it is."
As a rookie, Barber also shared the spotlight with Jones, who suffered a high-ankle sprain that kept him out of three full games and parts of others. So Barber's role changed throughout the year as well. He started two games, but he and Jones shared the carries down the stretch last season.
But heading into this year, Parcells wanted more definite roles for each back. And he hasn't changed that since training camp.
And even with Barber's success, especially in the red zone, Parcells said he is reluctant to play him more in the first half.
"There's two sides of that. He may get worn out, you know what I mean?" Parcells said. "That's what I'm concerned about, having the guy for what we need him for and the other night (against Atlanta), we definitely needed him to do it. It's probably the biggest drive of the year there with eight minutes to go, so far."
But the drive against the Falcons is far from the only big plays Barber has provided this season.
Two weeks earlier against the Giants in the Meadowlands, Barber rushed for 76 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a go-ahead score with less than four minutes to play. While the Giants eventually tied the game, the Cowboys rallied with less than a minute to play to win on Martin Gramatica's 46-yard field goal.
Barber had 83 yards rushing against Tampa Bay on Thanksgiving Day and also caught two short touchdown passes from Tony Romo. He had only 35 yards rushing against the Colts, but also scored two touchdowns in the Cowboys' 21-14 win over previously-unbeaten Indianapolis.
"He just has that knack for getting to the goal line," Romo said of Barber. "When we get down there close, the coaching staff, and the players, too, we just have the confidence that Marion is going to punch it in. He's done it all year and that's really helped us score down there in red zone."
Heading into next Monday's NFC East showdown with the Eagles, Barber not only leads the NFC in touchdowns, but was tied for second in the NFL with Kansas City's Larry Johnson with 15 scores each. Both are way behind San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, who set an NFL record with 31 total touchdowns.
But 15 scores for Barber, who had just five last year, wasn't his goal heading into the season.
"Not at all," he said. "You don't expect to get that many chances like that. But like I've said, it's all about being ready at all times. Fortunately, I've just gotten those opportunities."
So what is going through Barber's mind when he starts smelling that end zone?
"It's just, 'gotta get in, whether there's no hole or the biggest hole," Barber said.
And while Barber has no problems scoring touchdowns, he also said he's perfectly fine with his role.
"It doesn't matter at all," he said. "Like my dad always said, 'one touch or 20.' Make that one (count). So I don't really think about it. When it's my time to get in there and get my number called, I'll be ready."
And here lately, Barber's number has been called often, especially when it's time to close
IRVING, Texas - Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells has nicknames for many of his players. Some of them are quite flattering, while others might be more embarrassing for the players.
But second-year running back Marion Barber doesn't have any problems with Parcells' latest tag for him:
"The Closer."
No, Parcells isn't asking Barber to go three-up and three-down in the ninth. But in a football sense, he's looking for the same results.
"I think it's good to have a closer," Parcells said. "Whenever I've had good teams, I've always had a closer."
With the Cowboys already clinching a playoff berth, their first since 2003, and needing a victory Monday against the Eagles (4 p.m. CST) to win their first division title in eight years, it's starting to look more like the Cowboys are indeed a good team.
It's also quite apparent that Parcells and the Cowboys are turning to Barber in the fourth quarter when games are on the line.
"Whenever my name is called, I'm going to be ready," Barber said. "That's the most important thing - whether I'm closing or the third-down (back). But I don't really even think about being in the game late."
But that's when Barber has done the bulk of his damage.
While Julius Jones has rushed for a career-high 1,019 yards this season, Barber has started to collect more attention. Not just because of his 5.2-yard average, which should be commended considering the amount of carries he gets around the goal line, or his 13 rushing touchdowns, but just his aggressive running style has started to raise questions about why Barber isn't the Cowboys' starting tailback.
However, Parcells has consistently said all year long, dating back to training camp, he wanted to use a two-back system involving Julius Jones and Barber - in that order.
"No, I'm not going to change it," said Parcells, who has tried to keep Barber as the third-down back, goal-line back and certainly the primary ball carrier late in the fourth quarter with the lead. "I told you I think having a closer is important. I think Marion's in a good role. He's productive in that role pretty consistently."
That was never more apparent than in the Cowboys' 38-28 win last Saturday over the Falcons, in which Barber rushed for 55 of his 69 yards in the second half. But it was the fourth-quarter drive in which the Cowboys marched 80 yards in 11 plays, eating up more than five minutes of game clock, that ultimately did the Falcons in.
After five straight passes by Tony Romo to start the drive, the Cowboys pushed the ball out near midfield. And that's where Barber went to work, carrying the ball six straight times, including the game-clinching touchdown - his second of the night - to give the Cowboys a 10-point lead with just over two minutes to play.
"I think it was big," Barber said of that particular drive. "Especially when were able to get it to T.G. (Terry Glenn) and T.O (Terrell Owens) and that really opened up the run. Then the big fellas up front really did a good job."
Barber wasn't too bad himself. He ran with a little extra power on that drive, spinning off defenders, stiff-arming would-be tacklers and then even having the presence to stay in bounds near the sideline with an attempt to keep the clock running.
It's those types of little things that Parcells said is uncommon for such a young player in his second year in the league.
"He's a very smart player," Parcells said. "He's one of those guys that just knows the game. He understands football and understands what it takes to win. You could see last year that he just gets it. He does a lot of things well."
And Parcells can't exactly say he was surprised by that. Parcells said Barber's head coach at the University of Minnesota, Glen Mason, told him he would be a big fan of Barber, who learned a lot about the game from his father. Marion Jr. played seven seasons in the NFL as a running back for the Jets.
"He said, 'You'll like this guy,'" Parcells said of Mason. "As soon as they start with that, they know me and they know, so they're giving me good information. And I've known Glen for a long time so I can ask him very poignant questions, everything he told me is exactly like it is."
As a rookie, Barber also shared the spotlight with Jones, who suffered a high-ankle sprain that kept him out of three full games and parts of others. So Barber's role changed throughout the year as well. He started two games, but he and Jones shared the carries down the stretch last season.
But heading into this year, Parcells wanted more definite roles for each back. And he hasn't changed that since training camp.
And even with Barber's success, especially in the red zone, Parcells said he is reluctant to play him more in the first half.
"There's two sides of that. He may get worn out, you know what I mean?" Parcells said. "That's what I'm concerned about, having the guy for what we need him for and the other night (against Atlanta), we definitely needed him to do it. It's probably the biggest drive of the year there with eight minutes to go, so far."
But the drive against the Falcons is far from the only big plays Barber has provided this season.
Two weeks earlier against the Giants in the Meadowlands, Barber rushed for 76 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a go-ahead score with less than four minutes to play. While the Giants eventually tied the game, the Cowboys rallied with less than a minute to play to win on Martin Gramatica's 46-yard field goal.
Barber had 83 yards rushing against Tampa Bay on Thanksgiving Day and also caught two short touchdown passes from Tony Romo. He had only 35 yards rushing against the Colts, but also scored two touchdowns in the Cowboys' 21-14 win over previously-unbeaten Indianapolis.
"He just has that knack for getting to the goal line," Romo said of Barber. "When we get down there close, the coaching staff, and the players, too, we just have the confidence that Marion is going to punch it in. He's done it all year and that's really helped us score down there in red zone."
Heading into next Monday's NFC East showdown with the Eagles, Barber not only leads the NFC in touchdowns, but was tied for second in the NFL with Kansas City's Larry Johnson with 15 scores each. Both are way behind San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, who set an NFL record with 31 total touchdowns.
But 15 scores for Barber, who had just five last year, wasn't his goal heading into the season.
"Not at all," he said. "You don't expect to get that many chances like that. But like I've said, it's all about being ready at all times. Fortunately, I've just gotten those opportunities."
So what is going through Barber's mind when he starts smelling that end zone?
"It's just, 'gotta get in, whether there's no hole or the biggest hole," Barber said.
And while Barber has no problems scoring touchdowns, he also said he's perfectly fine with his role.
"It doesn't matter at all," he said. "Like my dad always said, 'one touch or 20.' Make that one (count). So I don't really think about it. When it's my time to get in there and get my number called, I'll be ready."
And here lately, Barber's number has been called often, especially when it's time to close
posted by The Gryphon at 5:36 PM
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