Marion Barber (calf strain) did not travel with the team and has been ruled out of Dallas’s Week 13 game, according to Tim McMahon of ESPN Dallas.
Our View: Barber was expected to miss this game, so this isn’t surprising. He’s got a shot to play again this season, though he’s clearly not the same player he once was. Tashard Choice and Felix Jones get bumps against the Colts.
Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News believes Felix Jones’ added weight has negatively affected his season.
Our View: He’s definitely lost some of his shiftiness, and he’s struggling to make tacklers miss. Plus, the extra eight pounds of muscle haven’t translated to a single rushing score. He’s not the worst Flex play against the Colts this weekend, but he’s really underwhelmed in 2010.
Despite injuring his ankle in Friday’s practice, Dez Bryant is still listed as probable for Week 13, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Our View: Bryant was already dealing with a back injury, so this certainly isn’t good news. Still, it sounds like he’ll play against Colts and their top-six pass defense. Stay tuned.
Marion Barber (calf) will not play this week, according to Greg Rosenthal of ProFootballTalk.
Our View: He’s expected to return this season, but his days of being “Marion the Barbarian” appear to be long gone. Tashard Choice and Felix Jones will handle rushing duties against the Colts.
Dez Bryant was added to the Cowboys injury report Thursday as limited with a back injury.
Bryant had been a full participant on Wednesday, but he took a hit to the back in practice. He didn’t mention the injury when talking to reporters, and interim coach Jason Garrett didn’t update Bryant’s condition after practice. We suspect the rookie will be fine for Sunday’s game against the Colts.
Dez Bryant was limited at practice Thursday with a back injury, according to CBSSports.com.
Our View: This is a new development and something Bryant owners need to track. Assuming Bryant practices fully on Friday he should be good to go in a prime matchup against the Colts. Check back for more updates.
Tim McMahon of ESPN.com reports that Bradie James (knee) is practicing with the Cowboys on Thursday.
Our View: James sat out Wednesday’s practice for what was deemed “precautionary reasons,” so he doesn’t appear to be in any jeopardy of missing Week 13. One of the more underrated tacklers in the game, James is heading to his fifth straight season with 100 or more stops.
Cowboys interim coach Jason Garrett says he had no problem with Dez Bryant’s sideline outburst on Thanksgiving, instead praising the rookie’s competitiveness and comparing Bryant to Michael Irvin.
"I don’t see that as a negative," Garrett said. "With any player, you want to make sure that he’s focused on the task at hand. In no way was it to me … a distraction." Bryant was double teamed throughout the game, seeing six targets but catching none of them. He should be played with confidence as a WR3 this week in a potential shootout at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Tashard Choice practiced Wednesday as if he’s going to be a bigger part of the Cowboys’ offense in Week 13.
It seems obvious with Marion Barber (calf) out, but we’ve been given the impression that Choice’s role would expand previously and it didn’t happen. In Wednesday’s workout, Choice was pulled off the punt team and worked with the offense. He should get 10-14 touches against the Colts Sunday.
Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com reports that Marion Barber (calf) did not practice on Wednesday.
Our View: Barber looks highly unlikely to play this weekend against the Colts’ 29th-rated run defense. As a result, Felix Jones is a very good start in all league formats and Tashard Choice is likely looking at a season-high number of carries.