Running
back Marion Barber made his debut with the Chicago Bears Sunday after being
sidelined with an injured calf for the first three weeks of the NFL
season. His five carries for 17 yards and
a touchdown helped boost the Bears' running game against Cam Newton and the
Carolina Panthers.
Barber's
touchdown in the fourth quarter sealed the 34-29 victory for Chicago, an
important win following back-to-back losses against New Orleans and Green Bay. His
game complemented teammate Matt Forte's 205 rushing yards and contributed to
the Bears' 224 total rushing yards, the most they've had in a game since 1988.
"Marion was finally healthy, was able
to come out and contribute, and he did a great job out there," Forte said of
his teammate.
Here's
a look at the performance of other Gophers in the National Football League and
the Canadian Football League from this weekend:
- Wide receiver
Eric Decker continues to prove himself as a weapon in the red zone for the
Denver Broncos. He had five catches
for 56 yards and two of Denver's three touchdowns on Sunday against the
Packers. Unfortunately, it was not enough to stop the defending Super Bowl
champions, who won 49-23.
- Dominique
Barber, safety for the Houston Texans, was active but did not record any
statistics in the Texans' big 17-10 win over Pittsburgh.
- Vikings' cornerback
Marcus Sherels was active but did not record any statistics as Minnesota
lost 22-17 to the Kansas City Chiefs. Minnesota dropped to 0-4 on the
year.
- Nate Triplett, linebacker
with the Indianapolis Colts, was active but did not record any statistics
in the Colts 24-17 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday night.
- Matt Spaeth, Chicago
Bears' tight end, was inactive with a calf injury for the Bears week four
victory.
- New York Jets'
wide receiver Logan Payne remains inactive due to wrist surgery. The Jets
fell to the Ravens 34-17.
- In addition to
those who were on active rosters, three former Gopher players spent the fourth
week of NFL season on the practice squad for their respective teams.
Offensive lineman Dominic Alford is on the Cleveland Browns' practice team,
cornerback Traye Simmons is with the San Diego Chargers, and last year's
quarterback Adam Weber practices with the Denver Broncos.
- In the CFL, wide
receiver Arland Bruce had no receptions but did record one tackle in the
BC Lions victory on Saturday. Ernie Wheelwright, wide receiver for the
Saskatchewan Roughriders, remains on the nine-game injured list with a
knee injury.
