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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones quickly absolved Lance Dunbar of the sin of fumbling at the end of his electrifying 43-yard catch-and-run against Arizona.
“Totally forgive him,” Jones said after the game. “I’m so glad our fans got to see him. He’s quick, fast and makes plays.”
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, their fans won’t be seeing the speedy third-down back for a while. Dunbar suffered a sprained left foot on his scintillating play in the 12-7 preseason loss and is expected to miss three to four weeks.
The setback jeopardizes the former North Texas standout’s participation in the season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 8. Considering that bell-cow tailback DeMarco Murray missed six games last season with a sprained foot, Dunbar could be sidelined well beyond the opener.
“It’s really uncertain how long he’s going to be out,” coach Jason Garrett said Monday at a news conference in Irving. “He’s certainly going to be out for this week, and then we’ll just kind of see it day to day beyond that.”
Speaking to reporters in the locker room at Valley Ranch, Dunbar refused to rule himself out for the opener.
“It’s just disappointing, but that’s football,” said Dunbar, whose fumble came inside the Cardinals’ 5-yard line. “I’m just going to work hard to get back quick. My mindset is just get back in the weight room and get treatment on this. Get back there as fast as I can.”
Dunbar’s injury means the team likely will keep four backs on the 53-man roster, with the other three being Murray, Phillip Tanner and rookie Joseph Randle, the fifth-round pick from Oklahoma State. If that’s the case, the Cowboys could be forced to cut an on-the-bubble player at another position they would like to keep.
“(Injuries) factor into how you cut your team down,” Garrett said. “We certainly have a couple of weeks to go before we have to do that, and we’ll just see what the landscape is at that time.”
Garrett raved at training camp about the “juice” the 5-foot-8, 188-pound Dunbar brings to the offense.
After joining the team last year as an undrafted free agent, he gained only 75 yards on 21 carries and caught six passes yards. But he was one of the top performers at camp, leaving the Cowboys with visions of him becoming another Darren Sproles, the New Orleans Saints’ undersized dynamo.
“He was playing really well,” Garrett said. “He’s done a really nice job for us in all phases, as a runner, receiver and pass protector. He’s shown up on special teams. Hopefully, this is just a mild setback for him.”
Notebook: Dallas placed linebacker Alex Albright, who will undergo season-ending back surgery this week, on the waived/injured list. If he clears waivers, he will be placed on injured reserve… Defensive end Anthony Spencer, who underwent surgery on his left knee three weeks ago, said he remains hopeful he can play in the opener…Receiver Cole Beasley, who missed the Arizona game because of a foot injury, said he hopes he can return to play against Cincinnati on Saturday…Dallas also waived/injured defensive linemen Travis Chappelear and Toby Jackson. The moves leave the Cowboys with 87 players on the roster. They must cut 12 by Aug. 27.
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“Totally forgive him,” Jones said after the game. “I’m so glad our fans got to see him. He’s quick, fast and makes plays.”
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, their fans won’t be seeing the speedy third-down back for a while. Dunbar suffered a sprained left foot on his scintillating play in the 12-7 preseason loss and is expected to miss three to four weeks.
The setback jeopardizes the former North Texas standout’s participation in the season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 8. Considering that bell-cow tailback DeMarco Murray missed six games last season with a sprained foot, Dunbar could be sidelined well beyond the opener.
“It’s really uncertain how long he’s going to be out,” coach Jason Garrett said Monday at a news conference in Irving. “He’s certainly going to be out for this week, and then we’ll just kind of see it day to day beyond that.”
Speaking to reporters in the locker room at Valley Ranch, Dunbar refused to rule himself out for the opener.
“It’s just disappointing, but that’s football,” said Dunbar, whose fumble came inside the Cardinals’ 5-yard line. “I’m just going to work hard to get back quick. My mindset is just get back in the weight room and get treatment on this. Get back there as fast as I can.”
Dunbar’s injury means the team likely will keep four backs on the 53-man roster, with the other three being Murray, Phillip Tanner and rookie Joseph Randle, the fifth-round pick from Oklahoma State. If that’s the case, the Cowboys could be forced to cut an on-the-bubble player at another position they would like to keep.
“(Injuries) factor into how you cut your team down,” Garrett said. “We certainly have a couple of weeks to go before we have to do that, and we’ll just see what the landscape is at that time.”
Garrett raved at training camp about the “juice” the 5-foot-8, 188-pound Dunbar brings to the offense.
After joining the team last year as an undrafted free agent, he gained only 75 yards on 21 carries and caught six passes yards. But he was one of the top performers at camp, leaving the Cowboys with visions of him becoming another Darren Sproles, the New Orleans Saints’ undersized dynamo.
“He was playing really well,” Garrett said. “He’s done a really nice job for us in all phases, as a runner, receiver and pass protector. He’s shown up on special teams. Hopefully, this is just a mild setback for him.”
Notebook: Dallas placed linebacker Alex Albright, who will undergo season-ending back surgery this week, on the waived/injured list. If he clears waivers, he will be placed on injured reserve… Defensive end Anthony Spencer, who underwent surgery on his left knee three weeks ago, said he remains hopeful he can play in the opener…Receiver Cole Beasley, who missed the Arizona game because of a foot injury, said he hopes he can return to play against Cincinnati on Saturday…Dallas also waived/injured defensive linemen Travis Chappelear and Toby Jackson. The moves leave the Cowboys with 87 players on the roster. They must cut 12 by Aug. 27.
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