Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings: Don’t Be Lured By Sleepers In 2011

Everyone loves to draft a guy that he thinks is a sleeper.  Why?  Because it’s our way of proving to everyone else that, “Yes, I know more than you.” Beyond that, it’s simply quite fun to draft a guy that surprises everybody else.

Like I said before, it’s not that fun to draft Ichiro.  You know exactly what you’re getting.  (Or at least you used to know, before this season.) On the flip side, thinking about Jason Heyward’s upside gives us all visions of glory.

But when it comes to drafting running backs for your fantasy football team this year, save the “sleepers” for other positions.

Assuming you are in a 10 to 12 team league, or a fun weekly challenge game like FanDuel, and you have to start at least two running backs, it won’t be good enough to simply know which guys are in the top five.

Here are my top 25 running backs for 2011, along with some guys I think you should stay away from. The latter group is who we’ll start with.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: The “Stay-Aways”

• Mark Ingram – The Lockout will hinder rookies greatly this year.  The rookie running back slump continues, even though the kid has unreal talent.
• Joseph Addai – As a Colts fan, I think I speak for everyone else in Hoosier Country when I say, “You just can’t trust this guy.”
• All Other Colts’ Running Backs – If you need me to explain this one, you have probably never played fantasy football.
• Jonathan Stewart – Just a hunch, but I think the Panthers will try to justify spending a billion dollars on DeAngelo Williams…if only for this season.
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis – Also a hunch, but I have a feeling that the Patriots are going to be high-flying, just like they were in their 18-1 season.  Expect a lot of passing, yards, and scoring…through the air.
• CJ Spiller – At this point, he’s destined to become a homeless man’s Devin Hester.  And in a league that no longer has kickoff returns, that isn’t a good thing.
• LaDainian Tomlinson – Eight steps beyond washed-up at this point.
• Daniel Thomas – See Ingram, Mark.
• Fred Jackson – I just don’t see the Bills leading a lot of games this year.  Their running game and Mr. Jackson will suffer.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #21-25

The boring guys who will win you games

• Marshawn Lynch
• Ryan Mathews
• Mike Tolbert
• Ahmad Bradshaw
• Shonn Greene

Ironically, these guys are all pretty similar.  Most of them like to pound it inside and eat up short yardage situations.  Expect all of them to be able to punch it into the end zone for you as well.

Of these five, Greene has the most upside since the Jets will likely be good, but Sanchez will still struggle, causing them to rely heavily on their defense and running game.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #16-20

Your “all or nothing” guys…that will win you weeks, and break your heart.

• Jahvid Best
• Felix Jones
• Knowshon Moreno
• Ryan Grant
• LeGarrette Blount

These guys are all on the same level to me. 

Best intrigues me the most because I feel that he has the most raw talent of the bunch…but as we are all well-aware, his injury history will scare many away.

I really think this could be Knowshon Moreno’s breakout year, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he ended up as a top seven running back…though the QB situation will make his job that much more difficult.

Beware of Ryan Grant.  The Packers’ RB was injured for most of last season, and he will come back hungry, ready to show everyone that he is, in fact, very important to his team’s success.  Also, it’s probably a safe bet that Green Bay will be winning a lot of games this year, and Grant will be benefactor #1.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #11-15

It’s just not fun taking them, but you can’t let them slide past you.

• DeAngelo Williams
• Frank Gore
• Matt Forte
• Steven Jackson
• Peyton Hillis

None of these guys will earn you high praise on draft night, but they will all give you an easy 1000 yards, 8 TDs, and receptions out of the backfield.  Again, the lockout will affect a lot of young guys, players on new teams, and players with new coaches.

While Williams, Gore, and Hillis are all playing for new coaches, they will definitely be one of the foundational elements that their coaches are hoping to build upon.  Gore, Forte, and Jackson are about as “Ichiro-esque” as you can get.  Barring injury, expect solid numbers from them across the board.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #10

I have to place him this high, but I’m scared to death of him myself.

• Michael Turner

It’s possible he’s past his prime.  It’s possible that all of the carries the past few years have killed his legs.  It’s possible that Atlanta will become more of a passing team this year.  It’s also possible he has one more year left in him.

This is all I know.  Someone will draft Michael Turner in your league this year, and it will either make, or break his team.  I am scared to death of him, but I also know he could have one more good year left in him, and I understand he could very well come back to bite me.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #8-9

“Old Reliables” that may not be so reliable.

• Maurice Jones-Drew
• Rashard Mendenhall.

If healthy, both Jones-Drew and Mendenhall will easily be top-ten RBs.  Both of their teams love to grind it out, and both guys can do the job.  However, Mendenhall has had fumble issues in the past, and just how long can a guy as small as Mo-Joe stay healthy?

If it were me, and I drafted either of these guys early, I would take his backup late in the draft – especially if I had Mo-Jo, because I think Rashard Jennings could really surprise some people this year, if given the opportunity.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #6-7

The new kids on the McBlock.

• Darren McFadden
• LeSean McCoy

These two guys have more “home-run” ability than anyone besides Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles, and maybe Adrian Peterson.

McCoy will be playing in a high-powered offense that has surprisingly less weapons than you thought.  Seriously, they have Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and…yeah you thought they had more, didn’t you?  Well, McCoy will surprise a lot of people this year that didn’t take notice before.  He is one of the smoothest runners in the game, and can also catch the ball out of the backfield.

McFadden, on the other hand, finally seemed to figure it out last year.  If he is finally putting the work in to match his unbelievable talent, the Raiders could have a top five fantasy player on their team, easily.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #4-5

Don’t be disappointed with these guys.

• Ray Rice
• Arian Foster

We have all been there.  We get the fourth pick in the draft, and we love three guys.  Obviously, those three guys go 1-2-3, and we are stuck fuming to ourselves for the next four picks.  On draft day, don’t be “disappointed” with Rice or Foster.

Sure, maybe the next three guys will have marginally better years, but the fact is that in most seasons the difference between guys 1-3 and 4-6 isn’t really that big.  Be happy with either of these guys, and then focus on building out the rest of your team.  Nobody has ever won a fantasy league with just one guy, but plenty have lost it by not concentrating for half of their draft.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #2-3

The enigmas

• Chris Johnson
• Jamaal Charles

I think these are the only two guys in the league that could rush for 2000 yards.  They could also both get injured or, in CJ’s case, randomly miss a lot of time because of contract issues.  Either way, if things go well, Charles and Johnson will make a LOT of fantasy owners happy with their home run ability coupled with their coach’s love for the running game.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings: #1

Old Faithful

• Adrian Peterson

In my opinion, he’s still the best in the biz.

Jon Washburn @The_Dr_Twitch

Dallas Cowboys Update: Three New Additions to the Cowboys’ Ring on Honor

The Dallas Cowboys have always been proud of its tradition and have revered the players that have helped to establish the Cowboys’ winning tradition. Sports betting Dallas Cowboys’ fans will be honoring three men who are part of that tradition when Drew Pearson, Charles Haley and Larry Allen are added to the Dallas Ring of Honor in Cowboys Stadium.

The last time that three players were inducted together into the Ring of Honor was in 2005 when Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin were inducted together. While Pearson, Haley and Allen don’t have quite the connection that the “Triplets” did, they are still remembered by football betting online Cowboys’ fans as three key players in maintaining the Dallas dominance of the NFL from the mid-1970’s through to the 1990’s.

The Cowboys are starting to get healthy again at running back as Tashard Choice is getting closer to being able to play again and rookie DeMarco Murray has been cleared to play by the Dallas medical staff. Murray was sidelined early in training camp with a pulled hamstring that has now healed enough where he can start taking snaps at practice. Murray joins an uncertain backfield that consists of the previously mentioned Choice and stalwart Felix Jones. NFL analysts know what Jones can do, but Choice is an unproven player and Murray’s rookie status makes him a question mark in the offensive backfield.

After the Cowboys lost their second preseason game to the San Diego Chargers 20-7, head coach Jason Garrett pointed out two areas where the Cowboys need to improve if it wants to win in 2011. The first is in the turnover department. Three times the Cowboys had a drive stalled in the San Diego end of the field with a turnover. But the Cowboys could not get a turnover in return. The head coach points to a lack of discipline and an inability to protect the ball as the reasons for the turnovers.

The other area that Garrett is concerned about is the play of starting quarterback Tony Romo. Even though Romo was part of lockout workouts and has been throwing to his receivers for a couple of months now, he did not look sharp and wound up throwing an interception as one of the Cowboys turnovers. Garrett vows to address the issues and get his team ready for the start of the regular season.

It could be because they have a lack of other choices, but the Cowboys coaching staff is high on one of their NFL picks at cornerback and that is Orlando Scandrick. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has predicted that Scandrick will have a big year this year and show the rest of the league what he is capable of. The Cowboys lost out on signing prized free agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha in the off-season, and now they are trying to piece together a defensive secondary that can win games and give the Cowboys a chance to make the playoffs.

Dallas Sports Fan – Rangers Hanging On In AL West, Cowboys Kick Off Preseason Slate

Those who bet football online are gearing up for the beginning of preseason as the NFL prepares to kick off on Thursday night, and Dallas will be on the schedule to show their fans and sports betting players alike what they’re working with. But first, start with baseball where Texas is holding off Los Angeles in the American League West, and the two will face off this week.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers are off on Thursday as they head out on the road after a six-game homestand in which they went 4-2, taking two of three from Cleveland and Seattle. This next week is the time to pay close attention to MLB baseball news, though, as the Rangers begin a 10-game road trip that begins in Oakland against the Athletics, but the big story will start on Monday as the Rangers will be Los Angeles (technically, Anaheim) to face the Angels. While these two American League West clubs still meet six times after next week’s series, this four-game set is going to be huge for a number of reasons. However, that doesn’t mean they can look past the Athletics, who have been on the road since the beginning of the month and will be happy to be back on the West Coast.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys begin their preseason slate against Denver at home, and there will be a couple of reasons to watch this game, other than the fact that football is back and you don’t need a lot of reasons. Tony Romo should get his first game action since Week 6 of last year, when he was knocked out of the lineup and even though he’ll only play one or two series, it’ll be good to have him on the field. Also, the Cowboys have some rookies who were solid NFL picks in the draft and they should get some action; offensive tackle Tyron Smith, linebacker Bruce Carter and running back Demarco Murray should all see some time, and Murray is one to watch as news has emerged that the Cowboys may be parting ways with Tashard Choice, who is currently injured. Murray has a chance to move into a backfield that already has Felix Jones, so he’ll want to take advantage of his opportunities. Things don’t really start to pick up in the preseason until the third game, but the lockout has made this preseason different because players just got together two weeks ago, and there was a lot of free-agent movement. A lot of people are playing with each other for the first time, so that could lend more intensity to this game, making them a tough call in your sports betting book.

Dallas Cowboys Update: Preseason Starts with New Questions

The sports betting fans in Dallas are getting ready for a preseason they did not think would happen. But the Dallas Cowboys seem to be filled with more questions than answers as the team prepares to take on the Denver Broncos Thursday in the preseason opener. Changes in some key positions, and no changes in other positions, have created tense moments for the Cowboys’ fans who are unsure as to what to expect in 2011.

Felix Jones prepares to take on the role of the primary running back after the departure of Marion Barber in the off-season. But NFL betting lines fans remember Jones as the running back that could not stay healthy his first two seasons. Barber was the one that was carrying the load for Dallas while Jones was hurt. When Jones was able to play, he was an electric and exciting running back. But fans are wondering if the loss of Barber will give more time to new back-up running back Tashard Choice as opposed to allowing Jones to flourish as the starter.

The biggest question floating around Valley Ranch involves the Dallas defense. The one major change made to the Cowboys’ defensive unit was new coordinator Rob Ryan. Aside from that, the players on the field are the exact same unit as last year. The defensive secondary was unable to keep up with some offensive opponents, and the defensive line had issues in containing the run. But the Cowboys feel that a change in scheme will help the current players to be more successful and bring out the best in this defensive unit.

NFL fans in Dallas remember Kyle Kosier as being an effective left tackle in the 2010 season. But the addition of rookie right guard Tyron Smith in the 2011 draft means that Kosier will be playing right tackle in 2011. The move does make sense. Kosier has a comfort level on the right side, and he can work with the rookie Smith to develop his skills. That also gives veteran left tackle Doug Free the chance to work with rookie left guard David Arkin. Having two rookies at guard is a risk that the Cowboys are willing to take. It may help an offensive line that had a lot of problems last season, or it could be another step backwards for the Cowboys’ offensive unit.

The Dallas Cowboys love taking their training camp show on the road, but the shortened training camp this season made it difficult for the Cowboys to make multiple stops on their way to Valley Ranch. The Alamodome in San Antonio has been one of the homes of the Dallas Cowboys training camp for the past few years, but the Cowboys are not committing to coming back in 2012. Each team in the NFL picks its training camp sites for extended periods of four and five years. Now is the time for the Cowboys to re-sign their five-year commitment to the Alamodome, and the Cowboys are not certain that they want to do that just yet.

Dallas Cowboys Update: Cowboys Offense is Ready to Attack

Sports betting experts watched as the Dallas Cowboys’ offense functioned effectively last season even though starting quarterback Tony Romo missed most of the season with a broken collarbone. With the changes coming to the Cowboys offense for 2011 which include a return by Romo and the possible exit of running back Marion Barber, online casino wagering football fans are starting to think that the Cowboys have the makings of the best offense in the NFC.

If the Cowboys can get production from last year’s number one pick wide receiver Dez Bryant, then the sportsbook promo crowd is thinking that the Cowboys receiving corps is the best in the NFC. Along with Bryant would be veteran Roy Williams and number one receiver Miles Austin. Tashard Choice and Felix Jones would carry the ball for the Cowboys behind an offensive line that could use a little help. The only place the Cowboys seem vulnerable on offense is at the offensive tackle position. Dallas is hoping that the current roster can help fill in those important spots.

No one is sure when free agency will start up again, but the Philadelphia Eagles have already indicated that they will be making a lot of NFL picks to help bolster Philly’s chances at a playoff spot. The Eagles put the Cowboys and New York Giants on notice that the NFC East will be competitive this year as the Eagles intend to win the division through improving their team in the offseason.

Even though the players are not on the field right now, the media is still evaluating the play from last year and handing out accolades. In a recent USA Today poll of professional football media experts, DeMarcus Ware was voted as the best outside linebacker currently in the league. Ware’s ability to rush the passer and stop the run makes him an all-around linebacker that the rest of the league is taking note of.

While DeMarcus Ware was getting recognized for his play, the rest of the Dallas defense is still on notice about their play last year. New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has not had a chance to work extensively with a unit that gave up a lot of points and a lot of yards last year. The weakest point in the Dallas defense is the defensive secondary. It is difficult to dial up a blitz when there is no confidence that the secondary will be able to contain the receivers. The Cowboys drafted some top rated defensive secondary players, but it will be Ryan’s use of his personnel that will determine how successful the defense will be.

As most of the players sit at home and wonder when they will be able to get to the practice field again, players’ representatives and NFL owners try to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement. But it looks like the owners’ coalition is fragmenting as some owners are resisting the terms being discussed and are trying to negotiate with the players on their own. This week is a critical week as Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones and the rest of the NFL owners meet to try and get on the same page and bring the lockout to an end.

Dallas Cowboys Update: It Is a Tony Romo World that We are Living In

The sports betting experts are still not convinced that the NFL season will start on time, if at all. As the 2011 Belmont betting approaches, the NFL players and owners are still locked in a labor dispute that seems to be playing out in the courts rather than at the negotiating table. While the Belmont betting presses on, lawyers from the players’ side and the owners’ side sit by and wait for a court to give a final decision on the legality of the lockout. In the meantime, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has been getting plenty of press lately.

Top football insiders such as Vic Carucci and Steve Wyche are speculating on the future of Tony Romo if the 2011 season turns out to be a bust. The general consensus is that the 2011 season is the one where Romo needs to establish himself as the starting quarterback by taking a leadership role, winning games in the regular season, winning games in the playoffs and staying healthy. If Romo cannot deliver this season, then the Cowboys may use one of their NFL picks next year to start over again at quarterback.

In other Romo-related news, Tony Romo and former television news reporter Candice Crawford were married over the weekend in a ceremony attended by many of the Cowboys’ royalty. Owner Jerry Jones was on hand, and former Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman was also on hand to witness the event. Romo scheduled the wedding in between training sessions that he is holding with his team in an undisclosed Dallas location.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been mulling over the team’s needs during this lockout. Last season, Dallas had some strong needs at positions such as offensive line and defensive safety that the team refused to address. This year, Jones has indicated that if free agency ever starts up again, the Cowboys will be in the market for new safeties. Jones did not address the hole that remains at offensive line, or what will become of running backs Felix Jones, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice. But the prevailing feeling is that Barber may be the odd-man out in this situation.

Troubled wide receiver Dez Bryant has been participating in the player-run workouts, and many within the organization feel that spending more time with his teammates is helping Bryant sort out his personal issues. Bryant ran into problems during the offseason when he was banned from a Dallas shopping mall for creating a disturbance and then being sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry he has not paid for. Bryant made headlines again when he was supposed to meet with owner Jerry Jones when the lockout was temporarily lifted, but Bryant never showed.

Jones dismisses the missed meeting as being no real event and says that he is not concerned about Dez Bryant. When the Cowboys drafted Bryant, the wide receiver had indicated that it was his life-long dream to play for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are hoping that the threat of losing that dream will be enough to help Bryant get back on the right path and be a productive member of the team.

Dallas Cowboys Update: Making The Wrong Choice

Dallas Cowboys Update: Making The Wrong Choice

The betting experts can be a fickle bunch, and NFL betting experts are particularly brutal in their assessments. But when you serve up a home run pitch like Cowboys running back Tashard Choice did after the Cowboys loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in week 14, then the NFL predictions are going to weight heavily against you.

The Eagles beat the Cowboys 30-27 in one of the closer NFL scores of the week. But when the game was over, backup running back Tashard Choice was captured on camera getting Michael Vick’s autograph. Choice had waited all season to finally get a chance to play. He had sat on the bench behind Felix Jones and Marion Barber all season long. In one of his chances to shine, Choice lavishes praise on the opposing quarterback by asking for his autograph.

Choice said the autograph was for his three-year-old nephew, and most of the Cowboys players support Choice. But it is the fans that the Dallas players should be worried about, and the fans are not happy. Dallas sports radio lit up the next day with calls to bench or release Choice. Dallas Cowboys fans are already sensitive about not making the playoffs this year. When one of their running backs does the celebrity worship thing with the opposing quarterback, it is not going to go over well in Dallas. Read more

Dallas Cowboys Update: Cowboys Fans Ready to Host Saints

Dallas Cowboys Update: Cowboys Fans Ready to Host Saints

It is that time of the year that all betting experts look forward to each year. It is the time when the NFL betting focuses on three Thanksgiving Day games that are always interesting and usually have some sort of playoff implications. The Dallas Cowboys have been putting up some good NFL scores lately, and while the Cowboys are not going to live up to preseason NFL predictions, they get the chance to ruin the playoff positioning of the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.

Three weeks ago Dallas Cowboys fans would have had a completely different outlook on the annual Thanksgiving Day game. But after the firing of head coach Wade Phillips and a two-game winning streak to mark the start of the Jason Garrett era in Dallas, Cowboys fans are much more optimistic about their chances of winning this game. There is a buzz around Dallas that the Cowboys have the ability to make the playoff hopes a for the defending champion New Orleans Saints a little tougher by beating the Saints on Thanksgiving Day.

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo is still throwing in practice, but is not at full speed and is not taking part in contact drills. The Cowboys are still estimating that Romo will be out at least another three weeks. In his place, back-up Jon Kitna has been managing games very well and giving the Cowboys a chance to win just about every game they have played since Romo was injured.

The story behind the newest Cowboys sensation, rookie cornerback Bryan McCann, is an inspiring one. McCann was not part of the combine or the draft. He signed with the Cowboys, but Dallas released him. McCann was picked up by the Ravens, but they never put him on the roster and let him go. Now McCann has been the two-time NFC player of the week for the Cowboys and has returned two interceptions for touchdowns. McCann’s 101-yard interception return for a touchdown is one of the longest such plays in NFL history. He is the first player since the 1950 season to return two interceptions for touchdowns of 90 yards or greater back-to-back. From being cut to NFL fame in just a few weeks is the story of Bryan McCann, and it is one that all aspiring football players should listen to.

It looks like running back Marion Barber may be getting the ball more often in the Dallas offense. Barber is the only running back with a rushing touchdown on the Dallas roster, and he has shown a determination lately that has not been lost on the Cowboys coaching staff. Barber has been extremely hard to tackle lately and he has been able to protect the football. Felix Jones continues to be the number one running back on the depth chart, but fans can expect to see more of Barber and his pounding rushing style in future games for the Dallas Cowboys. Barber could be moved from his third-down status back to being an every down back by this week.

Will Jason Garrett Be The Next Head Coach?

Right now Jason Garrett holds on to the title of interim head coach for the Dallas Cowboys, but the NFL betting community is betting that Jerry Jones will make the position permanent when the season is over. The Cowboys are 2-0 under Garrett and posted one of the more impressive NFL scores in his first game against the Giants. The Cowboys may not be able to live up to the preseason NFL predictions of a Super Bowl, but they are showing rapid signs of improvement under Garrett.

Starting quarterback Tony Romo is practicing with the team after suffering a broken collarbone against the Giants in the first New York and Dallas game, but Romo is still weeks away from being able to play. He is involved in non-contact drills right now, and he is just trying to determine how much pain he has when he throws the ball. The estimate is another three weeks before Romo can expect to get back on the field.

In the last two wins for the Cowboys, running back Felix Jones has gained 51 yards in each game. Marion Barber gained 47 yards against the Giants but was not a factor in the win over Detroit. One of the things that Jason Garrett changed was the offensive game plan of the Cowboys. Where Wade Phillips had fallen back to the passing game almost immediately, Garrett is bringing balance to the team’s offense in all situations. The second leading rusher for the Cowboys against the Lions was quarterback Jon Kitna. So Garrett is getting everybody in on the act as far as running the football goes.

One of the problems that the Dallas Cowboys have been experiencing all season long is untimely penalties that cause them to lose games. To remedy the problem, Wade Phillips had brought in a team of referees to help the Cowboys understand when they were committing a foul and how to avoid it. Jason Garrett has continued the practice and, since the middle of October when the referees were first brought to Valley Ranch, the Cowboys have dropped to an average of less than five penalties per game.

In a recent interview with the Dallas Morning News, former head coach Wade Phillips mentioned that his 34-22 record produced the same winning percentage as legendary coach Tom Landry. Phillips also mentioned that he found it difficult to find a head coaching job after he was fired in Buffalo, and he expects it to be difficult finding a new job now. What Phillips left out was that Tom Landry was the Cowboys head coach for 28 years and compiled a 270-178-6 record in that time. It could be Phillips inability to see apples to apples that keeps costing him coaching jobs in the NFL. Phillips has indicated that he would be interested in becoming a defensive coordinator in the NFL again but, at this point, there have been no offers for his services.

Dallas Cowboys Update: All Not Quite Rosy At Valley Ranch

The sports betting world was interested, and surprised, to see the Dallas Cowboys knock off the mighty New York Giants in the debut game of interim head coach Jason Garrett. But before the NFL betting experts fall in love with Garrett, some incidents have come up to indicate that not everything in the Cowboys camp is grand. The NFL scores for week 10 may have gone the Cowboys’ way, but they are still struggling to live up to the preseason NFL predictions that had them in the playoffs.

Not every player on the Cowboys roster is excited at the prospects that Garrett brings the team. Running back Marion Barber is proving to still be a disgruntled employee that is intent on causing disruption. When Garrett took over the team he instituted a dress policy for charter flights that included dress shoes, a sport coat and a tie. Barber refuses to follow the policy, and rumblings are already starting in the Cowboys locker room.

Garrett did not initially address the issue with any statement or punishment. But the interim head coach announced that Barber will more than likely be punished for not following team rules. Barber has been unhappy all season as he has watched the majority of the running back workload going to Felix Jones. Barber has been brought in on situations that normally do not have an effect on the game. Garrett says he has no intention on changing Barber’s role in the team’s game plans.

The Dallas Cowboys have had kicker nightmares the past two seasons. It could be argued that bad field goal kicking cost them important games in each of the last two seasons. All seemed well this year until new kicker David Buehler missed two relatively easy kicks against the Giants. It did not cost the Cowboys the game, but Jason Garrett has no intention on letting it get to that point. He publicly put Buehler on notice this week indicating that the place kicker needs to improve his accuracy or he will be out of a job.

Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban has chimed in on the firing of Wade Phillips, and Cuban says he understands why the change was made. In Cuban’s opinion, Phillips was allowing a losing culture to grow in the Dallas locker room. The coach had lost the players as far as respect and motivation goes, and when that happens it is time to get rid of the coach. Cuban was quick to point out that the whole process with Wade Phillips had nothing to do with Jason Garrett. It had everything to do with changing the mindset in the Cowboys’ locker room from chaos to a disciplined winner.

Reality entered into the fantasy world of an NFL football game for 12 frightening minutes as the power went out in the New Meadowlands while the Dallas Cowboys were playing the New York Giants. Players and fans were confused and a bit scared as no one knew what was really going on. After 12 minutes, the power came back on. Giants owner John Mara made a joke of the situation when the game was over saying that if he had known the outcome of the game in advance he would have kept the lights off.

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