Two RB's Better Than One
dallascowboy.com
Look what's happened on the way to Super Bowl XLI.
The two running-back system has emerged in the NFL.
Not two at the same time, meaning utilizing the tailback as much as the fullback in the same backfield like they used to do in the old days, but employing two different tailbacks to carry the load during the grueling 16-game season.
And so many thought now-retired Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells was an ol' fogey for trying to lessen the burden on Cowboys starting tailback Julius Jones by giving carries to Marion Barber in special situations during games. Or that Parcells was missing the boat by hanging with Jones while Barber seemed more productive when given the opportunity.
Well, would you look what will take place here Sunday when the Chicago Bears meet the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium?
The Chicago Bears employ a two-back system, divvying up the carries between Julius' brother, Thomas Jones, and their 2005 first-round pick, Cedric Benson. Jones handled the bulk of the carries, getting 296. But Benson got 157, and even took more of a lead role in the NFC Championship game, getting 24 carries to Jones' 19.
And to think Bears head coach Lovie Smith is a spry 48 years old.
Then over there in Indianapolis, the Colts went so far as to let their lead dude, Edgerrin James walk in free agency after leading them in rushing six of the previous seven seasons, with four of those 1,500-yard seasons. Rookie Joseph Addai led the Colts with 226 rushing attempts, but veteran Dominic Rhodes had 187.
Guess the game must have passed 52-year-old head coach Tony Dungy and ol'-fogey offensive coordinator Tom Moore (66) by.
"We have a lot of confidence in our running game," said Dungy, knowing the perception is the Colts solely rely on their passing game because they have Peyton Manning and the others don't. "We like the fact we have two guys who can get the job done."
In Chicago, even though Jones was coming off a 948-yard, seven touchdown season, the Bears decided to select Benson with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. His rookie season, after a brain-dead holdout, was a washout.
But the former Texas Longhorns running back finally transitioned not only into the Chicago offensive system but also into the team's program - and locker room.
"You have to play 16 games, and if one guy is getting 25-30 carries a game, he's not going to be as effective late in the year," said Chicago offensive coordinator Ron Turner, rationalizing the use of two backs. "Probably not even last 16 games."
That was always Parcells rationale for holding Julius Jones to 16.7 carries a game this 2006 season. He didn't want to use him up, and most of all, wanted him fresh down the stretch, which is one reason why he limited him to just 11 carries in the Arizona blowout and also against Tampa Bay during the short Thanksgiving Day week.
To do all that, Barber ended up with 135 carries, the majority coming on third-down, short-yardage, red-zone and goal-line situations. That's one of the few times in Cowboys history when two backs have rushed more than 100 times in the same season without injury being the main reason.
Evidently, this seems to be somewhat of a trend, especially in the NFC. Five of the six playoff teams used a two-back system, and the second back for three of the five had at least 100 yards. The two that didn't, New York's Brandon Jacobs had 96 carries and Philadelphia's Correll Buckhalter had 83 in a pass-oriented offense.
And if you noticed, both teams in the NFC Championship game relied on a two-back system, Chicago and New Orleans, with Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush.
Maybe Parcells was a trend-setter.
In the AFC, eight teams decided two backs were better than one, handing out at least 100 carries to each, and of those eight, three advanced to the playoffs, including both AFC Championship combatants, Indy and New England.
"I think you need at least two good running backs to make it through a season," Smith said. "Especially if you are a running football team, and we are a running football team."
Now pulling that off with accord in the running back room might be a different story. And like the Cowboys, the Bears appear to have pulled that off, at least publicly. Julius Jones and Marion Barber, while both wanting a bigger role, never seemed to bicker or publicly show any dissatisfaction with their roles.
Same in Chicago, although Benson would have no grounds to do so after his rocky first season. The guy the Bears had to worry about was Jones, who rushed for a career-high 1,335 in 2005.
"It's an adjustment," Thomas Jones said of not being the guy all the time. "Something you learn to deal with. Sure, you want to be in the football game.
"I've noticed that in the third and fourth quarters of football games, sometimes they can't figure out who's in the game. Cedric is a bruiser, and I'm more of a slasher."
There's also another benefit other than longevity and freshness to riding two backs. Each continues to try to outdo the other.
"It's really been motivational," said Chicago quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson, the former Cowboys backup quarterback and assistant coach. "You just see the look on their faces when they're on the sideline. Sort of like, 'Why am I not in there?'"
The Cowboys are well aware of that look. Julius Jones appears to be a wanting man when he's on the sideline and Barber is running the ball. Especially when he's worked the ball all the way down the field and then has to hand off to Barber inside the 10-yard line.
Might also say his pride's been hurt.
Thomas Jones said he's never discussed their similar roles with brother Julius, who by the way was in the Bears' locker room after the NFC Championship game, and is here with his entire family for the Super Bowl, all staying in Thomas' Fort Lauderdale, Fla., house.
But he realizes that with his brother coming out on third down and in other situations, "and he's still getting 1,000 yards (1,084), that's pretty good.
"But I know if I was running the ball on first and second down and getting it down there and only to then get taken out of the game on the goal line, I'd be pissed off."
Big brother sticking up for little brother.
And both Super Bowl teams sticking to a two-back system, seemingly for the better, not worse.
That Parcells, always on the cutting edge.
Look what's happened on the way to Super Bowl XLI.
The two running-back system has emerged in the NFL.
Not two at the same time, meaning utilizing the tailback as much as the fullback in the same backfield like they used to do in the old days, but employing two different tailbacks to carry the load during the grueling 16-game season.
And so many thought now-retired Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells was an ol' fogey for trying to lessen the burden on Cowboys starting tailback Julius Jones by giving carries to Marion Barber in special situations during games. Or that Parcells was missing the boat by hanging with Jones while Barber seemed more productive when given the opportunity.
Well, would you look what will take place here Sunday when the Chicago Bears meet the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium?
The Chicago Bears employ a two-back system, divvying up the carries between Julius' brother, Thomas Jones, and their 2005 first-round pick, Cedric Benson. Jones handled the bulk of the carries, getting 296. But Benson got 157, and even took more of a lead role in the NFC Championship game, getting 24 carries to Jones' 19.
And to think Bears head coach Lovie Smith is a spry 48 years old.
Then over there in Indianapolis, the Colts went so far as to let their lead dude, Edgerrin James walk in free agency after leading them in rushing six of the previous seven seasons, with four of those 1,500-yard seasons. Rookie Joseph Addai led the Colts with 226 rushing attempts, but veteran Dominic Rhodes had 187.
Guess the game must have passed 52-year-old head coach Tony Dungy and ol'-fogey offensive coordinator Tom Moore (66) by.
"We have a lot of confidence in our running game," said Dungy, knowing the perception is the Colts solely rely on their passing game because they have Peyton Manning and the others don't. "We like the fact we have two guys who can get the job done."
In Chicago, even though Jones was coming off a 948-yard, seven touchdown season, the Bears decided to select Benson with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. His rookie season, after a brain-dead holdout, was a washout.
But the former Texas Longhorns running back finally transitioned not only into the Chicago offensive system but also into the team's program - and locker room.
"You have to play 16 games, and if one guy is getting 25-30 carries a game, he's not going to be as effective late in the year," said Chicago offensive coordinator Ron Turner, rationalizing the use of two backs. "Probably not even last 16 games."
That was always Parcells rationale for holding Julius Jones to 16.7 carries a game this 2006 season. He didn't want to use him up, and most of all, wanted him fresh down the stretch, which is one reason why he limited him to just 11 carries in the Arizona blowout and also against Tampa Bay during the short Thanksgiving Day week.
To do all that, Barber ended up with 135 carries, the majority coming on third-down, short-yardage, red-zone and goal-line situations. That's one of the few times in Cowboys history when two backs have rushed more than 100 times in the same season without injury being the main reason.
Evidently, this seems to be somewhat of a trend, especially in the NFC. Five of the six playoff teams used a two-back system, and the second back for three of the five had at least 100 yards. The two that didn't, New York's Brandon Jacobs had 96 carries and Philadelphia's Correll Buckhalter had 83 in a pass-oriented offense.
And if you noticed, both teams in the NFC Championship game relied on a two-back system, Chicago and New Orleans, with Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush.
Maybe Parcells was a trend-setter.
In the AFC, eight teams decided two backs were better than one, handing out at least 100 carries to each, and of those eight, three advanced to the playoffs, including both AFC Championship combatants, Indy and New England.
"I think you need at least two good running backs to make it through a season," Smith said. "Especially if you are a running football team, and we are a running football team."
Now pulling that off with accord in the running back room might be a different story. And like the Cowboys, the Bears appear to have pulled that off, at least publicly. Julius Jones and Marion Barber, while both wanting a bigger role, never seemed to bicker or publicly show any dissatisfaction with their roles.
Same in Chicago, although Benson would have no grounds to do so after his rocky first season. The guy the Bears had to worry about was Jones, who rushed for a career-high 1,335 in 2005.
"It's an adjustment," Thomas Jones said of not being the guy all the time. "Something you learn to deal with. Sure, you want to be in the football game.
"I've noticed that in the third and fourth quarters of football games, sometimes they can't figure out who's in the game. Cedric is a bruiser, and I'm more of a slasher."
There's also another benefit other than longevity and freshness to riding two backs. Each continues to try to outdo the other.
"It's really been motivational," said Chicago quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson, the former Cowboys backup quarterback and assistant coach. "You just see the look on their faces when they're on the sideline. Sort of like, 'Why am I not in there?'"
The Cowboys are well aware of that look. Julius Jones appears to be a wanting man when he's on the sideline and Barber is running the ball. Especially when he's worked the ball all the way down the field and then has to hand off to Barber inside the 10-yard line.
Might also say his pride's been hurt.
Thomas Jones said he's never discussed their similar roles with brother Julius, who by the way was in the Bears' locker room after the NFC Championship game, and is here with his entire family for the Super Bowl, all staying in Thomas' Fort Lauderdale, Fla., house.
But he realizes that with his brother coming out on third down and in other situations, "and he's still getting 1,000 yards (1,084), that's pretty good.
"But I know if I was running the ball on first and second down and getting it down there and only to then get taken out of the game on the goal line, I'd be pissed off."
Big brother sticking up for little brother.
And both Super Bowl teams sticking to a two-back system, seemingly for the better, not worse.
That Parcells, always on the cutting edge.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:03 AM
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