Running to Daylight: RB Felix Jones

Don’t blink, because you’ll miss Felix Jones’ highlight “live” and have to watch the replay.  The speedy Cowboys running back has turned into a human highlight film.  His 73-yard touchdown run versus the Eagles in the Wild Card round of the playoffs set a new Cowboys’ postseason record for longest TD rush.  The prior week, he gashed the Eagles for a 49-yard touchdown in the regular season finale. 

“This was just the first stepping stone”, Jones said of the wins over the Eagles.  “We have to take it one step at a time and continue to get better and go out here and play our game.”

Jones rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in the 34-14 playoff win.  He also added a 30-yard reception off a screen pass.  Jones’ 73 yard touchdown run broke Emmitt Smith’s old playoff record when Smith ran 65 yards for a score against the Vikings in the Wild Card game in 2000.  Jones’ 148 rushing yards are the third-most yards rushing by a Cowboy in a playoff contest.

“You can blame that on the offensive line, they create a lot of big holes for the running backs,” Jones said after the game.  “The receivers do a good job of blocking the corners.  We’re executing and doing things the right way.”

Jones received the bulk of carries in the playoff game due to a knee injury to Marion Barber which limited Barber to 3 carries in the first quarter.  Barber did not play the second half of the game. 

“Felix was outstanding,” head coach Wade Phillips said during Saturday night’s post game press conference.  “Anytime he gets in the open field it’s a chance to make a big play.  He made one last week against them (the Eagles) and this week again.  He is prolific as far as making big plays.”

The emergence of Jones over the past 6 weeks is timely for a Cowboys team making a postseason run.  Of Jones’ 132 carries in 2009/2010 (including playoffs), 65 have come since the loss to the Chargers on December 13th.  Jones was limited early in the season after suffering a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in September’s Week 3 game versus Carolina. 

“Going through the things I went through this season, it helped me,” noted Jones.  “It just so happens to be the postseason right now, where the best comes out of me.”