The NFL has always been a league defined by toughness.

To name a few, there's Jack Youngblood playing in the 1980 NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XIV with a broken leg, Emmitt Smith rushing for 168 yards against the Giants with a separated shoulder, and Ronnie lot electing to cut his pinky finger off after it failed to heal properly.

Before his career is over, Marion Barber will be one of the toughest NFL players to ever play the game. Okay, that may be a little much. But he doesn't have the nickname "Marion the Barbarian" because he enjoys gladiator movies.

Last year, the Dallas Cowboys suffered due to Marion's absence. The team was able to supplement for a while with rookie Tashard Choice, but the 'Boys were never the same after Barber went down with an injury.

This season is make-it-or-break-it for the 'Boys of Valley Ranch. Romo is entering his third full season as quarterback and Marion Barber has help in the backfield with Tashard and Felix Jones.

The team cannot pin any offensive shortcomings on Terrell Owens anymore.

So, while Tony Romo receives the credit and the criticism for wins and losses, the team will only go as far as the Barbarian will take them.

In analyzing Barber's stats from 2007 and 2008, he tailed off a little in the fourth quarter last season due to injury.

However, unlike most backs, Barber sustains his production throughout the game.  

In the fourth quarter last season, Marion had 53 rushing attempts and averaged 3.5 yards per carry. Compare that to 2007 when he was healthy, and Barber averaged a strong 4.9 yards per carry on 83 attempts.

Couple Barber's production with the speed and versatility of Choice and Jones, and the Cowboys could very well have the best offensive backfield in the league next season.

That's if they can all stay on the field and healthy.

With the offensive firepower the Cowboys have stockpiled in Witten, Jones, Barber, Choice, Romo, and Roy Williams, there is no excuse for failure this season.

The Cowboys also have a brand new stadium that has seats that will need to be filled, so the fans' expectations for the team isn't as high as team owner Jerry Jones.

If Tony Romo acts as the blood that flows through the Cowboys system, Marion Barber is the teams pulse. Without a pulse, you're dead.

-JH

Cruising the fan polls of the assorted city-states that populate the NFC East, I was curious to learn how fans in New York City, Dallas and Washington were reacting to the curious predictions of so many "experts" and pundits in the national media who have been predicting the "domination of the NFC East" by the new, improved 2009 version of the Philadelphia Eagles.

My Dallas fan-of-the-moment has to be "cmonromo" of Austin, Texas, who wrote on Matt Mosley's blog (myESPNgo.com) the following analysis, which is pretty objective, all things considered:

"Wanna split hairs? If Tony Romo shows up vs. the Rams, Dallas would be in last year, and the final reg season game where Philly beat us 44-6 wouldn't have mattered...No broken pinkie on Romo's hand, no Eagle playoff berth...The biggest improvement for the Eagles this season appears to be on their O-Line, and let's face it, the Eagles could've won the division easily last year if not for a few games lost on short yardage...the addition of Weaver at fullback will improve the short-distance game. I think the Eagles will miss Buckhalter at RB unless someone else besides Westbrook steps up to average 7 yards-per-touch...Eagles lose Dawkins at safety but they improve on coverage defense overall with younger, faster guys...Problem, bro', is the more Eagles fans think they will win the NFC East, they will never win a Super Bowl with McNabb at QB..."

Then there's "jimmyc345" from New York City, who writes: "Philly will disappoint its fans in 2009 precisely because they are favored to win...McNabb always makes crucial mistakes at critical times, and his players always drop the ball when it counts the most...Remember in the Super Bowl in 2007-08, if Asante made that pick then Eli don't have a ring? Well, Asante is with the Eagles now. That sums it up..." 

Finally, "str8balla050" from D.C. states that the Redskins will neutralize any gains made by the Eagles in the 2009 offseason because of an improved defense in Washington, and that once again "Philly will choke away at least one game to the Redskins...and do you think the Eagles running game will work against our 8-man Box? The Eagles have been favored before and they have lost...Plus, the Eagles' schedule is a li'l crazy in 2009 with a bunch of Away games back-to-back. The Eagles' offense is still too weak and their QB can't escape the rush or run the ball like he used to. Sooner or later, he will throw the ball to the other team."

And so, the battle of the NFC East is ON, brothers and sisters. Wouldn't it be hysterical if all four division rivals finished with identical 8-8 records? Based on the opinions expressed above, that kind of finish would be plausible.

Meanwhile, Seattle General Manager John Thompson made two proposals to the Cowboys. The first involved some Dallas draft choices and Linebacker Randy White. "The Cowboys bounced that back faster than we could spit it out," Thompson says. The second was the deal that eventually was made. The Dallas general manager, Tex Schramm, was euphoric about landing Dorsett. "Dorsett is the outstanding back to come out of college since maybe O. J. Simpson," he said. "He doesn't have O.J.'s size, but there's no reason why he shouldn't be as successful as Simpson." Then Schramm talked like a businessman.

That was before the concussions, drugs, neck injuries, diamonds, and trash, and well, you get the picture.

The Cowboys have not posted a winning record in the months of December and January since 1996. In fact, the team has gone winless in December and January in two of the 13 seasons since '96.

For some reason the 'Boys collapse down the stretch and can't hold on to any type of momentum.

So, allow me to examine last season's December and January production and then I'll give my reason why they must...show and prove.

The Cowboys posted a record of 1-3 in December 2008, losing games to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Steelers, division-rival Eagles, and the Ravens of Baltimore.

In two of the four games, the Cowboys threw a couple of the games away. Remember the Ravens game when McGahee and McClain ran as if the police were chasing them?

What about the game against the Steelers when Romo and Witten had a "mis-read?"

All winnable games for the team from Valley Ranch, they just allowed victory to "slip" through their fingers.

When the Cowboys were in their hey-day, they posted winning records down the stretch. The last time the team won a playoff game was 1996. Their record in December you ask? 2-1.

It's almost un-thinkable to believe that a team as talented as the 'Boys can fail so miserably in the final months of the season.

A couple of years ago when the Giants pounced on the Cowboys in that famous playoff game at Texas Stadium, the G-men were able to show and prove why they belonged, harassing Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to the point where he started to yell at his offensive line.

Still need further reasoning as to why the Cowboys need to win in December?

Well how about this one: Championship teams do not falter down the stretch. The Steelers, Giants, Patriots, and Colts all were able to pull it together to make historic Super Bowl runs. Now it's time for the Cowboys to show and prove they are capable of doing the same.

-JH

According to Calvin Watkins of FanHouse.com, former Cowboy LB/DE Greg Ellis will be signing a 3 year contract to become a Raider later today. Financial terms were not disclosed.

There were many who thought that Greg Ellis may become a Raider (or at least hoped). I was not among those people. He does not fit the mold of the type of player this Raider team has been focusing on this offseason.

Ellis is the type of player the Patriots were thought to have interest in. He is over 30 (He'll be 34 in August) and is somewhat of a "tweener" which works great in the Patriots' 3-4 scheme. Plus the Patriots are in the market for a DE/LB these days so it seemed like the obvious fit.

A little bit less than a year ago, I discovered a video clip yesterday showing a documentary of Super Bowl X, played in 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Here is the description:

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the events and personalities surrounding Superbowl X in Miami between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. Features intimate portraits of the players and the CBS personnel who broadcast the events of Superbowl week. Produced with multiple lightweight video cameras in TVTV style, it is both informative and revealing of the extremes surrounding football culture and hype.

1. Tight End Jean Fugett Interviews Several Players

Here, you can see Jean Fugett interview Rayfield Wright, Too Tall Jones, Harvey Martin, and Billy Joe Dupree.

2. John Fitzgerald Interview

This clip features an interview with center John Fitzgerald, who discusses playing with injuries.

3. Ralph Neely Interview

This interview with Ralph Neely is especially interesting. He discusses his business life, which was quite separate from his football life.

At the end of the video, you can also see a short interview with Larry Cole.