IRVING, Texas --If you selected Felix Jones high in fantasy drafts this year, then you'll certainly remember Jones entered the 2011 season as the Cowboys' primary running back. Only a high ankle sprain and DeMarco Murray's rise as the team's most dynamic rookie rusher since Emmitt Smith moved Jones back to the complementary role he held behind Marion Barber from 2008 until midway through last season.
With Murray (fractured ankle) on injured reserve, Jones has since produced back-to-back 100-yard rushing games for the first time in his career, including a career-high tying 22 carries Saturday night at Tampa Bay.
Such a high workrate was due in part to the Cowboys' big lead and newly-signed Sammy Morris' small amount of time in the offense. Even when Jones started the final eight games of 2010 with Garrett as interim head coach, he only averaged 14 carries. Saturday night marked only his second 20-carry game ever.
There has always been a limit to Jones' touches, going back to his days platooning with Darren McFadden in college. But Garrett's confident he can be the lead guy the rest of the way.
"Felix has shown he can run the football, both as an inside runner and an outside runner, catch the football, play on third down. Can do that a lot," Garrett said. "He's been doing that for about a year now. When DeMarco kind of emerged, Felix went back to more of his role as a complementary player. That doesn't diminish his ability to be able to play a lot of snaps or touch the ball a lot.
"Ideally we don't want to overload him, but we recognize that situation with our tailback situation."
