ARLINGTON, Texas -- It only took 12 seconds Thursday for the Cowboys to dig themselves a hole against the Oakland Raiders. That's how long it took for rookie Terrance Williams to fumble the opening kickoff and watch Greg Jenkins return it 23 yards for a touchdown.
It won't make a great Thanksgiving memory for Williams, but it will remain a footnote thanks to a breakout performance by a backup tailback. The Cowboys were trailing 21-14 early in the third quarter when they decided to unleash former University of North Texas star Lance Dunbar on the Raiders. By the time the quarter ended, Dunbar had seven carries for 78 yards. The Cowboys rode Dunbar's legs on consecutive scoring drives and held on for a 31-24 win in front of 87,572 at AT&T Stadium.
The arrival of a running game was huge on a day when quarterback Tony Romo showed up with what Jerry Jones described as "real terrible stomach issues" that even required the quarterback to receive an IV and medication prior to the game. Dunbar and starter DeMarco Murray combined for 145 yards on 29 carries. Murray had the first three-touchdown day for a Cowboys running back in nine years. And maybe this is why Jones kept bringing up Dunbar's name so much lately. His speed and quickness served as the perfect complement to the more powerful Murray on Thursday.
"He wasn't healthy there for a stretch, but we came out of training camp thinking he could be a big part of what we were doing," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said of Dunbar. "He is a guy that can come in and give you a bit of a spark. He is a good receiver, but again I think we saw today that he is a good runner. He's a good runner on the edges but also a good runner up inside and seems to fall forward and make some positive plays for us."
Dunbar is generously listed at 5-8 on the Cowboys' roster. Asked whether people believe him when he says he plays professional football, he quickly answered "No, they think I'm lying."
He believes the Cowboys may have lost some confidence in him when he fumbled against the Chiefs during a crucial drive late in the third quarter in a Week 2 loss. He's patiently waited for another opportunity and has played well in back-to-back wins. The Cowboys have seen smaller running backs such as Danny Woodhead and Darren Sproles have success against them. Dunbar has an opportunity to make a similar impact on the Cowboys' offense, if he can stay healthy. He suffered a knee injury in the fourth quarter Thursday and didn't return. He'll have an MRI on Friday, but he doesn't think it will keep him off the field against the Bears in 11 days.
Dunbar began his high school football career in New Orleans, but his family evacuated in the days before Hurricane Katrina. After first heading to Mississippi, his family moved into a Best Western motel in North Texas and he enrolled at Haltom (City) High School, where he quickly became a star. Dunbar said he drew interest from Oklahoma State and Colorado State, but he followed one of his former Haltom coaches to North Texas.
Maybe he ends up as another Thanksgiving Day Cowboys folk hero like Clint Longley or Jason Garrett. But the Cowboys would like for him to become part of a potent 1-2 punch at running back. Offensive line coach/playcaller Bill Callahan referenced Ricky Watters and Charlie Garner recently. That's probably a little ambitious, but the Cowboys would love to have something close to what they saw Thursday.
They now have a half-game lead over the Eagles (6-5) in the NFC East. This is the first time they've been two games over .500 since being 8-6 last December. We all know how that ended. But with a more balanced offense, perhaps this team will have a better chance.
"I don't know how you can get any better practice with a lot on the line than to have a game like [Thursday's]," Jones said. "I think that's something our team can build on and that's what you hope to have happen with three or four positive endings; to maybe get ready to have a big year."
Jerry's the chairman of the blind optimist club, but at least Dunbar provided a vision of the future Thursday. His 45-yard run midway through the third quarter brought life to the Cowboys. He froze veteran safety Charles Woodson with a jump cut and raced to the Raiders' 25-yard line.
Decembers are normally where Cowboys seasons go to die. But in the aftermath of Dunbar's performance, this actually felt like the start of something better.
