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Taylor: Can Tashard Choice prove he's more than a career backup?


02:17 AM CST on Wednesday, December 1, 2010
COLUMN By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
jjtaylor@dallasnews.com

Never has a three-year veteran with fewer than a thousand career yards ever been more beloved than Tashard Choice.

Well, it looks like he's about to get a chance to prove he deserves to be more than a third-string running back for the Cowboys since Marion Barber is expected to miss the game with a strained calf.

Choice hasn't had many chances to be the featured runner in his career, but he's made the most out of them. That's why fans think he'd be more productive if he had more opportunities.

It's hard to argue with them, especially since he averaged more than 5.0 per carry in each of his first two seasons.

Remember his 23-carry, 88-yard performance against Pittsburgh in 2008? What about his 17 for 90 performance against Baltimore two weeks later? Or the 36-yard touchdown and 92-yard game in the comeback win over Kansas City last season?

Choice isn't big or fast, but he seems to have a good feel for hitting holes and has quick feet that allow him to make moves in close quarters and make defenders miss. He's been a nonfactor much of this season with only 14 carries. He was the third-down back earlier this season, but Felix Jones took that role.

This week, Jason Garrett reiterated that he views Choice as the third-best runner on this team. Choice gets a chance to change his mind Sunday against Indianapolis.

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