DeMarco Murray has broken bone in hand, could miss Sunday’s game

The Dallas Cowboys picked up a huge victory Sunday night at Philadelphia, but they were also thrown for a big loss.

Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s leading rusher, sustained a broken hand requiring surgery and likely will not be available for Sunday’s pivotal game against Indianapolis.

Stephen Jones, Cowboys executive vice president and son of team owner Jerry Jones, said on his KRLD-FM radio show Monday that it’s “probably a tough expectation” that Murray would be available to face the Colts, with Dallas trying to stay atop the NFC East.

“At the same time,” the younger Jones continued, “he hasn’t been ruled out. It’s not something that, if it responds well after surgery today, that he can’t come back and play this weekend. It’s probably a tough expectation to think that he can, but we’ll see.”

Murray has rushed for 1,687 yards and, with three games to go, is 87 yards shy of Emmitt Smith’s single-season franchise record. Although Murray had five fumbles in the first eight games this season, he since has been turnover-free.

After the 38-27 victory over the Eagles, a game that determined which of those teams would be in the driver’s seat of the division, Murray had X-rays on his left hand and told reporters he would be fine.

According to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, Murray suffered a break of the fourth metacarpal, part of his ring finger. He rushed for 81 yards in 31 carries against the Eagles, only the third time this season he was limited to fewer than 100 yards.

Murray is backed up by Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle, who have a combined 60 carries this season, compared with Murray’s 351.