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IRVING, Texas — Have the Dallas Cowboys gone from not giving running back DeMarco Murray the ball enough to giving it to him too much?
Should they be concerned about him wearing down on what is already a personal- and NFL-record pace?
Ironically, that is now a topic of conversation in Dallas after Murray’s amazing start to the season where he's gone from injury-prone to bell cow.
Murray has rushed 99 times for 534 yards and five touchdowns in four games. It is not only a career-high in carries and yards over four games, but it has him joining NFL legends Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson and Emmitt Smith as the only players in the NFL history with a 100-yard game and a touchdown in each of the first four games of a season.
"Who would have thought when they were having MVP conversations, it would be DeMarco Murray and not (quarterback) Tony Romo?," Cowboys vice-president Stephen Jones asked rhetorically. "He is certainly doing an outstanding job for us."
But because of the team’s recent history of not giving him or anyone else the ball on a consistent basis and his own reputation of missing games every season with injuries, there is a legitimate reason to question.
Should the Cowboys be concerned about wearing Murray down?
Two seasons ago the Cowboys logged the fewest attempts for the fewest rushing yards in team history. That year they ran it 35.04 percent of the time. Last year, it was 36.44 percent in the run category.
The Cowboys are running the ball 52.42 percent of the time so far in 2014, according to Sporting Charts. Murray is doing all the heavy lifting.
Reserve running backs Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar have combined for 20 carries.
“Yeah, we certainly have to be mindful of how we’re using all our players," coach Jason Garrett said. "That applies to the running back as well.
"You just have to see how he’s doing. We have confidence in the other running backs that we have, both Dunbar and Randle have done a nice job for us when they’ve gotten opportunities, so we have confidence in them to do that, so we’ll have roles for those guys.
"He’s certainly the bell cow of our team right now and we’ll continue to give him chances. You’re always watching your guys and making sure you’re using them the right ways, and not over using them and that applies to him as well as anybody else.”
Consider that Murray is on pace for 396 carries for an NFL-record 2,136 yards this season. Smith has the team record for carries and yards with 377 for 1,773 in 1995.
It would certainly qualify as a special season, while representing markedly new standards for Murray who has never had more than 217 carries for 1,121 yards in a season. Both came in 2013 when he made the Pro Bowl for the first time.
Murray also has never played more than eight games in a row since breaking into the starting lineup midway through his rookie year in 2011.
The former third-round pick from Oklahoma missed three games as a rookie with ankle injury, six games in 2012 with a fractured foot and two games in 2013 with a sprained knee.
But now the Cowboys are riding him like never before.
It’s one thing for the Cowboys to believe he is a bell-cow back who can handle the workload. It’s another for his body to stand up to a pounding it’s never taken.
“He has been hurt in the past,” Jones allowed. “You keep your fingers crossed especially when you are running him as many times as we are running him.
"I think we will look at getting other guys the ball. A lot of it will depend on how DeMarco is feeling as he goes. You want to do the right thing. DeMarco has been one in the past to ask for a blow if he needs a blow. But he has gotten himself into serious shape coming into the season. He just feels good.”
The Cowboys actually got a glimpse of Murray handling a bigger load over the last seven games of 2013.
He had 122 carries for 662 yards, which would have been 278 for 1,532 over 16 games.
It was that stretch that got the Cowboys believing they could be a dominant running team. They admittedly came into this season hoping to build upon that success.
Murray has been waiting for this opportunity his entire career and plans to make the most of it. He came into the season ready for a bigger load. For him, it's not about chasing records but doing whatever it takes to win.
“I feel like I’ve worked hard in the offseason and during the season to make sure I can handle whatever they throw at me,” Murray said. “Whatever you want to call it, I just make sure I’m prepared to carry it as many times as need be.”
It also helps that Murray is playing behind the NFL's best offensive line, which features three first-round picks who are opening holes big enough to drive a truck through.
There are times Murray doesn't get hit until he reaches the second level of the defense.
So the Cowboys plan to keep feeding him the ball. They are not overly concerned about wearing him down on his record pace.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...
Should they be concerned about him wearing down on what is already a personal- and NFL-record pace?
Ironically, that is now a topic of conversation in Dallas after Murray’s amazing start to the season where he's gone from injury-prone to bell cow.
Murray has rushed 99 times for 534 yards and five touchdowns in four games. It is not only a career-high in carries and yards over four games, but it has him joining NFL legends Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson and Emmitt Smith as the only players in the NFL history with a 100-yard game and a touchdown in each of the first four games of a season.
"Who would have thought when they were having MVP conversations, it would be DeMarco Murray and not (quarterback) Tony Romo?," Cowboys vice-president Stephen Jones asked rhetorically. "He is certainly doing an outstanding job for us."
But because of the team’s recent history of not giving him or anyone else the ball on a consistent basis and his own reputation of missing games every season with injuries, there is a legitimate reason to question.
Should the Cowboys be concerned about wearing Murray down?
Two seasons ago the Cowboys logged the fewest attempts for the fewest rushing yards in team history. That year they ran it 35.04 percent of the time. Last year, it was 36.44 percent in the run category.
The Cowboys are running the ball 52.42 percent of the time so far in 2014, according to Sporting Charts. Murray is doing all the heavy lifting.
Reserve running backs Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar have combined for 20 carries.
“Yeah, we certainly have to be mindful of how we’re using all our players," coach Jason Garrett said. "That applies to the running back as well.
"You just have to see how he’s doing. We have confidence in the other running backs that we have, both Dunbar and Randle have done a nice job for us when they’ve gotten opportunities, so we have confidence in them to do that, so we’ll have roles for those guys.
"He’s certainly the bell cow of our team right now and we’ll continue to give him chances. You’re always watching your guys and making sure you’re using them the right ways, and not over using them and that applies to him as well as anybody else.”
Consider that Murray is on pace for 396 carries for an NFL-record 2,136 yards this season. Smith has the team record for carries and yards with 377 for 1,773 in 1995.
It would certainly qualify as a special season, while representing markedly new standards for Murray who has never had more than 217 carries for 1,121 yards in a season. Both came in 2013 when he made the Pro Bowl for the first time.
Murray also has never played more than eight games in a row since breaking into the starting lineup midway through his rookie year in 2011.
The former third-round pick from Oklahoma missed three games as a rookie with ankle injury, six games in 2012 with a fractured foot and two games in 2013 with a sprained knee.
But now the Cowboys are riding him like never before.
It’s one thing for the Cowboys to believe he is a bell-cow back who can handle the workload. It’s another for his body to stand up to a pounding it’s never taken.
“He has been hurt in the past,” Jones allowed. “You keep your fingers crossed especially when you are running him as many times as we are running him.
"I think we will look at getting other guys the ball. A lot of it will depend on how DeMarco is feeling as he goes. You want to do the right thing. DeMarco has been one in the past to ask for a blow if he needs a blow. But he has gotten himself into serious shape coming into the season. He just feels good.”
The Cowboys actually got a glimpse of Murray handling a bigger load over the last seven games of 2013.
He had 122 carries for 662 yards, which would have been 278 for 1,532 over 16 games.
It was that stretch that got the Cowboys believing they could be a dominant running team. They admittedly came into this season hoping to build upon that success.
Murray has been waiting for this opportunity his entire career and plans to make the most of it. He came into the season ready for a bigger load. For him, it's not about chasing records but doing whatever it takes to win.
“I feel like I’ve worked hard in the offseason and during the season to make sure I can handle whatever they throw at me,” Murray said. “Whatever you want to call it, I just make sure I’m prepared to carry it as many times as need be.”
It also helps that Murray is playing behind the NFL's best offensive line, which features three first-round picks who are opening holes big enough to drive a truck through.
There are times Murray doesn't get hit until he reaches the second level of the defense.
So the Cowboys plan to keep feeding him the ball. They are not overly concerned about wearing him down on his record pace.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...