IRVING, Texas — As good as the Cowboys have been running the ball the first three weeks of the season, their depth is certainly being tested.
Felix Jones suffered a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Monday’s 21-7 win over Carolina and, according to a source, will not play Sunday at Denver. Jones could be out until after the Oct. 18 bye week.
Marion Barber did not play against the Panthers because of a left quadriceps injury, and on Tuesday, coach Wade Phillips was not ready to say that Barber would be able to play against the Broncos.
That leaves the Cowboys with one tailback who’s 100 percent healthy in Tashard Choice. It also leaves open the possibility of Chauncey Washington being called up from the practice squad.
“I’m not Carnac,” Phillips said. “You want me to say definitely this guy is going to play and this guy isn’t.
“There’s no way you can tell (the Broncos) that. It’s all real subjective in the first place and then it’s individual with each player and how quickly they come back and how serious the injury is. I can’t predict that.” The Cowboys are the NFL’s top rushing team, averaging 193.7 yards per game. Jones leads the Cowboys with 212 yards, averaging an astounding 10.1 yards per carry. Barber, who had 124 yards against the New York Giants in Week 2, is averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Choice, who showed last year that he can handle a full-time role if needed, is averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
The injury to Jones, however, is cause for concern. He played in only six games as a rookie last season because of a hamstring pull and subsequent toe injury that required season-ending toe surgery. In three games this season, he has been slowed by a bruised quadriceps and now a partially torn PCL.
Phillips said Jones may have suffered the injury before his 40-yard run in the third quarter. He saw action in only two snaps after that carry. Jones does not need surgery, but he will need time to recover, although Phillips would not rule him out of the Broncos game.
“It could get well quickly,” Phillips said.
Barber was hoping his quadriceps pull had healed enough to allow him to play Monday, but Phillips said the decision to sit him was made Sunday. Barber was slowed in 2008 with a dislocated toe and had just 15 yards on 13 carries in the final three games.
Phillips said Barber’s injury was a “10-day, two-week” issue.
“We couldn’t take a chance on losing him for a longer period of time,” Phillips said, “so that’s the way we went.” At least the Cowboys have Choice to fall back on. In the final four games last season, he carried 62 times for 325 yards and a touchdown.
After Jones’ injury Monday, Choice carried 15 times for 73 yards, finishing the game with 82.
“He’s a pretty good back, now,” Phillips said. “They were touting (the Carolina) backs as really top players, and he outgained both of them.”
——— (c) 2009, The Dallas Morning News.
Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
