Wednesday News
Dallas News: JJT is taking up the cause to return Julius Jones and Marion Barber to the roles they had a year ago. Taylor says Barber is the starter now, based on how he is treated after the first series of the game, and last year Barber was the 3rd down back. Maybe JJT isn’t very good with numbers. Barber averages 5.1 yards per carry and Jones averages 3.9 yards per carry. Taylor writes poetically about lying eyes and manipulating the truth, when all he has to do is evaluate who has been the more successful runner. Barber. For the past two years, not just a handful of games.
Albert Breer says spotty kick coverage hasn’t hurt the Cowboys yet, but it will if they don’t fix it soon and maybe this week against the Jets.
JJT says all QBs tell you they throw the ball to the open receiver, but Romo actually does it. And Taylor has a mailbag up.
Q. Do teams design specific plays for specific role players?
Ami Heda, Maplewood, N.J.
TAYLOR: Absolutely. Marion Barber is a role player, and the Cowboys have runs designed for him. Just like the plays that put Sam Hurd and Patrick Crayton in position to succeed.
What is this, blast Barber day? Yeah, he’s a role player. A role player averaging 5.1 per carry, who would be in the Pro Bowl if he had more opportunities.
Q. With T.O. playing at such a high level, will the Cowboys look to extend his contract? He will be 34 next season but, when motivated, clearly is one of the best at his position.
Kevin, Kalamazoo, Mich.
TAYLOR: I don’t think the Cowboys will try to extend him in the off-season. I think they would do as they did Romo, which is see how he performs in the off-season, the preseason and the first part of the regular season and then give him another two- or three-year deal. He keeps himself in fantastic shape, but at that age you never know when the injuries will start to creep up, so you have to be careful. That said, I think the Cowboys will eventually extend his deal and he’ll stay in Dallas.
I think they will before camp next year. We’ll see.
Calvin Watkins says Patrick Crayton may miss the Jets game. Julius and Thomas Jones are having a Thanksgiving Day rematch. T.O. was NFC Player of the Week.
Rick Gosselin says the Jets are going to try to establish a running game on Thursday. Good luck. That is the area the Cowboys are best at.
Calvin Watkins focuses on Leon Washington.
Star-Telegram: Clarence Hill and Rick Herrin write about football families reuniting on Thanksgiving. The Joneses love spending Thanksgiving at Texas Stadium, but they have a traditional holiday afterwards “in Florida”. Don’t buck tradition. Wade Phillips loves him some of his wife’s gumbo on Thanksgiving. Remi and Akin Ayodele will be spending the day together for the second time in 10 years. John and Jason Garrett will be together. Julius and Thomas Jones will, too. Tonight, that is.
Mac Engel says Sam Hurd will likely start for Patrick Crayton. And more about Jones vs. Jones.
Rick Herrin Then and Now. Frank Clarke.
Rick Herrin scouts Kellen Clemens.
Rick Herrin Cowboys Extra. Kelly Clarkson will be the featured halftime performer. Greg Ellis had his four-game sack streak end. Ten Cowboys are among voting leaders for the Pro Bowl. Still no NFL Network on Time Warner cable. Roy Williams is one of eight finalists for The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP Program.
Dallas Cowboys: Rob Phillips says the Jones brothers have new roles in the Thanksgiving rematch.
Nick Eatman says Crayton could sit against the Jets.
Nick Eatman writes about Wade and his dad beating the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in 1979.
Nick Eatman says Leon Washington has the Cowboys attention.
Mickey Spagnola says this is the 40th edition of Cowboys football on Thanksgiving, and he lists many things Cowboys fans can be thankful for this time around.
Mick’s Mail. Mickey is amused by a fan who says the Cowboys are struggling to win games.
SA Express: Tom Orsborn says Hurd may start for Crayton. Where have I heard that before? I know, many of these are redundant. But I like to get the perspective of all the big newspapers, and many times you come across a different take. Just not today, yet.
Tom Orsborn says Chris Canty will be telling his kids he played with DeMarcus Ware.
Tom Orsborn says Deon Anderson is missed as a wedgebuster. Ah, wedgebuster. Now there’s a position I can appreciate. And Orsborn has a mailbag up, with nothing in there I can really complain about.
Abilene Reporter: Jamie Aron (A.P.) says D-Ware takes the quickest path to the QB.
