News: BR: Lance Dunbar Injury: Updates on Cowboys RB's Knee and Return

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Dallas Cowboys running back Lance Dunbar left Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints in the third quarter after suffering a knee injury.

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Dunbar Out for Remainder of Game After Hurting Knee

Sunday, Oct. 4


Dunbar, 25, exited the game after fielding the opening kickoff of the second half. He had 54 yards on three carries before leaving. The Star-Telegram's Clarence Hill speculated it could be a serious issue for Dunbar, but FanDuel's Will Carroll reported the Dallas medical staff didn't immediately administer a test on his knee to determine whether he suffered a torn ACL, which could be an encouraging sign.

Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com confirmed Dunbar would miss the rest of the game.

In his fourth season out of North Texas, Dunbar has emerged as a vital pass-catching threat out of the backfield. Working largely on passing downs, he had 10 receptions for 100 yards coming into Week 4 while Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle largely handled ball-carrying duties.


"Anytime we've given him opportunities in the past, he seems to be productive with them," head coach Jason Garrett said after Week 1, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. "Either as a runner or as a receiver, coming out of the backfield and also when he lines up outside, he’s just a darn good football player."


The Cowboys are employing a running back-by-committee approach this season, so Dunbar's loss means more work for McFadden and Randle. Neither player excels at catching the ball out of the backfield—they've combined for nine grabs all season—so it'll be interesting to see which one gets the first opportunities. It's also possible that Christine Michael, acquired during the preseason from the Seattle Seahawks, will finally see some action.

It would seem like this is a chance for Randle to overtake every-down duties, but Dallas has been content to play him mostly in running situations so far. Either way, Dunbar's injury strips another dimension from a passing game that was already without star wideout Dez Bryant.



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