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Barber is expected to serve as the Buccaneers' No. 2 running back Week 14 against the Colts after coach Bruce Arians reiterated Wednesday that Ronald Jones is the team's top option on the depth chart, Scott Smith of Tampa Bay's official site reports. "I don't have any concerns about the running game right now," Arians said. "RoJo's still our starter and we'll get him going."
Jones had outpaced Barber in offensive snap share for four consecutive games until the former noticed a reduced role in Sunday's 28-11 win over the Jaguars due to a missed blitz pickup in the third quarter of the contest. With Jones in the doghouse, Barber earned all the first- and second-down work thereafter, finishing the day with 17 carries -- his most since Week 2 -- for 44 yards and two touchdowns. The pair of scores gave Barber a nice fantasy line, but it obscured what was another typically inefficient showing for the Auburn product, who is now averaging just 3.2 yards per carry for the season. Jones (3.9 YPC) gives the offense a more explosive element, so expect him to remain ahead of Barber in the pecking order as long as he avoids the mistakes that have occasionally cropped up during his two years in the league.
