Injuries continue to slow Felix Jones

Felix Jones is his own worst enemy. Or rather, his body is. Once again, Jones' body has failed him just when he was about to have a breakthrough moment in his career as a Cowboys running back. With rookie phenom DeMarco Murray out for the season with a broken ankle, Jones was in the process of re-establishing himself as the Cowboys' No. 1 back when he was sidelined this week with a hamstring injury. Labeled a "complementary back" since his college days when he used to spell Darren McFadden at Arkansas, Jones got a full load in last week's win over Tampa Bay. He got a whopping 25 touches 22 carries, 3 catches - and responded with 108 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards. And then he came up lame. Again. If Jones can't trust his own body to hold up to a full workload, how can the Cowboys? Jones has not practiced with the team at all this week. He's worked some on the side, doing some running and stretching exercises and generally making everyone nervous. With a chance to wrap up the NFC East title on Saturday against the Eagles, Jones is the only bona fide tailback the Cowboys have right now. They signed veteran Sammy Morris last week, but the 34-year-old Morris can't be counted on for more than the 13 carries he got last week. Rookie Phillip Tanner was the third running back for much of the season but he was also placed on injured reserve earlier this month with a hamstring injury. Chauncey Washington will likely be promoted from the practice squad before Sunday's game. Washington has a whopping nine games of NFL experience. His career consists of four carries for nine yards. If Jones can't play Saturday, his absence doesn't just affect the running game. He's also the only running back fully schooled in the Cowboys' blocking schemes. That's kind of important to Tony Romo, who will be peeking at NFL sack leader Jason Babin out of the corner of his eye. Injuries have dogged Jones much of his career and with one year left on his contract, his health will be an issue when the Cowboys determine whether to re-sign him. A former first-round draft pick, Jones' rookie season was shortened by a hamstring injury that flared up into a more serious toe injury while he was rehabbing. The next season, he made his first NFL start and promptly suffered a knee strain that caused him to miss the next two games. Last season, he played in all 16 games for the first time and turned in 1,250 all-purpose yards. But until this season, he had shared playing time with Marion Barber. He got his chance to be the primary back in 2011 and missed four games with a high-ankle sprain before suffering his current hamstring injury. It would be nice to have both Jones and Murray as a one-two punch for several years, but that might not be a luxury the Cowboys can afford. Murray has his own history of injuries dating back to college. Having both Jones and Murray has already been a luxury for the Cowboys as in a luxury car that's constantly in the shop. With Murray retired to the garage for the rest of the season, the Cowboys need Jones to get them to the finish line. Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire