It appears Jahvid Best is heading in the wrong direction when it comes to the health of his ailing feet.
The Lions running back -- dealing with turf toe injuries to both his left and right foot -- struggled in limited duty against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, his trademark speed and cutback ability noticeably absent.
Even more disconcerting, Best said after the game that the injuries seemed to be getting worse, not better.
"This was different," Best told *The Detroit News* after the Lions' 35-19 loss. "It bothered me more this week, so my role was reduced. I just tried to go out there and make something happen."
The 2010 first-round pick finished with three carries for two yards and four catches for 15 yards. It was a far cry from the same player who ammassed 232 total yards and two touchdowns just two months earlier against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"In the pregame warmups it was feeling pretty good," Best said. "But it ended up not being so good. It's just my cutting. Sometimes I can plant and sometimes I can't. It's a tough thing to deal with."
Lions coach Jim Schwartz acknowledged that Best's ailments have "progressively hindered him more and more." Schwartz used a running back-by-committee approach against Dallas, with Maurice Morris (10 carries for 31 yards) and fullback Jerome Felton (four for 14) handling the majority of the workload. Detroit managed just 75 yards on the ground.
As of Monday, there was a very real possibility Best would be unable to go against the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving Day. The back remains hopeful, however.
"The kind of person I am, I never want to sit down," Best said. "I always want to be in there. I am just going to get in the training room and hope for the best."
