Barber A Long Way From Healthy

Marion Barber wasn't himself last Sunday against Kansas City, and everyone seemed to notice. Everyone, that is, except for Jason Garrett.

Barber ran the ball 15 times for just 53 yards, averaging 3.5 yards a carry, his lowest average this season and almost an entire yard below his career mark. Tashard Choice carried the ball just eight times for 92 yards--a gaudy 11.5 yards per carry. Oh well.

Hopefully, Garrett takes a lesson from last week's disconnect, because it appears that Barber might not be himself for a while, as he struggles to return from a quadriceps injury suffered in the loss to New York. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported today that, according to coaches, Barber has a long road ahead of him in this regard.

"He’s not completely healthy. That thing’s going to take time," said running backs coach Skip Peete. "He’s just got to keep strengthening. He’s a little weaker than he was prior to being hurt. He’s doing well. He just doesn’t have the burst that he’s had before he got injured."

With Barber dealing with the lingering effects of his quadriceps strain and Felix Jones out of the lineup, Choice has filled in deftly, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on the season; with Jones likely to return for October 25, against Atlanta, though, his workload could shrink once more, as he returns to the bench as a specialty back.

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