Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett shakes hands with Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien after the game at AT&T Stadium. Houston won 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Lamar Miller’s recent injury is about as bad as possible.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Houston Texans running back suffered a torn ACL during the team’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys and will be out for the season.
#Texans RB Lamar Miller does, in fact, have a torn ACL, source said. The MRI confirmed today. His season is over and Houston has a new starting RB.
The injury occurred on the Texans’ first offensive drive of the game. Miller is seen here taking the handoff from Deshaun Watson before getting hit right above his left knee by the Cowboys’ Maliek Collins.
Lamar Miller’s Injury Looked Bad From the Beginning
Cowboys sideline reporter Kristi Scales had an up-close look at the injury and detailed that everyone knew it was a bad injury from the beginning.
Via the Dallas News:
“From the sideline, it was obvious right away that it was a severe injury. We all knew it. The angle at which Cowboys DT Maliek Collins hit Miller’s leg, the leg bent awkwardly at the knee, and Miller immediately reached down for his left leg and was writhing in pain. Within 20 seconds of the Texans’ medical staff tending to Miller, they were signaling for a cart to be brought onto the field.
A player getting carted off, his hand over his face in pain & grief, he knew his season was over. His teammates knew it, too. So did the Cowboys’ sideline.”
As Scales notes in her article, the air seemed to be taken out from the Texans’ sidelines due to the injury. Houston put up very little fight in their 34-0 loss to the Cowboys and O’Brien even took out Watson and inserted quarterback Joe Webb on the ensuing series — likely fearing a possible injury for his starting quarterback.
Probably worst of all is that the injury occurred on Miller’s first carry of the preseason. It wasn’t as if one could blame head coach Bill O’Brien for giving the 28-year-old too much work — it was just a rough tackle and a little bit of bad luck.
Watson expressed how big of an injury this is for the Texans following the game, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.
“It’s very tough. You have a guy that is so special to our team,” Watson said. “[When] anybody gets hurt, it’s tough. But he’s one of the guys that has a lot of energy and a lot of power for this team. And, I mean, it was tough to see him go off on the cart.”
Lamar Miller’s Injury a Huge Blow to Texans’ Playoff Hopes
The injury comes right after Miller posted his first Pro Bowl season in 2018 — a campaign in which he rushed for 973 yards and five touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry. His stellar season for the Texans led to a No. 3 seed and the AFC South division title for Houston.
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Miller had entered the season battling with fellow University of Miami product Duke Johnson for the starting tailback job, but the job is now Johnson’s after this injury.
Johnson is about to enter his fifth season in the NFL after spending the first four years of his career with the Cleveland Browns. The 25-year-old back has rushed for 1,286 yards and five touchdowns for 4.3 yards per carry during his career. He spent the past three years as a backup after starting seven games during his rookie season.
With Miller now out for the season and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck unexpectedly announcing his retirement over the weekend, the AFC South could be up for grabs in 2019.
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