Giants game is kind of important, too. So is the next one and the next one. Sure, they needed Barber out there. And yes, even with the way Tashard Choice played, Barber would've helped. Wait, a healthy Barber would've helped.
And clearly, he wasn't. It appears that even Barber knew that, too.
Whether or not Barber chose not to go, or was influenced by the team that making the trip was not in his best interest, who knows?
But it has nothing to do with his toughness.
Let's look at the facts involved - Marion Barber hadn't practiced all week, he has a dislocated toe, and now he's developed some soreness in his calf. Let's add in that with a road game, you can't always take it right up until game-time. If this was at home, it's a different story. Throw in the factor of playing on a frozen, bad field against the No. 1 defense in the NFL. And maybe, just maybe it doesn't make sense to play a guy that has two injuries and hasn't practiced all week.
That doesn't mean he isn't tough.
Marion Barber has enough skins on the wall that he can miss one game because of TWO injuries, and his toughness shouldn't be questioned. In fact, if you really want to break it down, the very reason he developed a calf injury is because of how tough Barber really is.
Had he not tried to play, and tried to run for a few days to test his toe injury, then he probably would've never developed the soreness in his calf. Maybe he was overcompensating for the toe, who knows? Injuries are always a mystery, but it's a good possibility.
Regardless, if you're sitting on your butt all week just hoping that the toe gets better, you won't be developing any calf injury. Then again, you won't be playing as well.
But Barber wanted to play. He did his best to try and play. And he did so probably because he's a tough guy.
And no one should know that more than Jones, the guy who just paid him a fat, $45 million contract this past summer.
Sounds like the Cowboys' owner was overly frustrated about the loss. Sounds like he was admitting a level of surprise that Barber didn't play, despite being hopeful all week that he would.
See, Jones knows that Barber is a key to this offense. He knows he needs him down the stretch in this final month. He knows what kind of jolt he brings to the entire team.
And yes, despite the recent headlines here in the last few days, I can promise you that Jones knows that he's tough as nails as well.
