LaDainian Tomlinson: Emmitt Smith is right!

[VACowboy]

I don't really know why anyone would kill the messenger for this. I don't think there are many who deny that Murray could have gained more yards last season. That was fairly easy to see.

What those of us who realize he's not easily replaced also see is he could have lost more yards last season.

I remember watching one play recently where he shrugged off an arm-tackle at the line of scrimmage, went shoulder pad to shoulder pad with a linebacker, bounced of that to his left and had a clear path to the outside, but didn't trust Terrence Williams to hold the block, cut back to the inside and was tackled.

A big run became a medium run. However, with another back it could have been a zero gain run or a short-gain run. That's the pluses and minuses with Murray. The question now is what are the pluses and minuses with his replacements?

I like Murray. Great player. Great teammate. Great guy. But how do you know why he cut back? It sure wasn't the only time he did something like that.

 

[VACowboy]

I agree. Except for the 'hope he does well, just not against us' part. I hope he has a dismal season in PHI and his contract is a loadstone.

This, a million times.

 

[VACowboy]

All by himself? Got five guys who'd like to speak with you...

Way more than five.

 

[KJJ]

The RB will get the yards, the questions are will they get the tough yards, how are they at pass catching, and most importantly, can they pick up the blitz. It will be fun to watch for the next month or so in preseason games and camp.

That's the concern for me whether any of the current backs can pick up the tough yards the ones that move the chains and sustain drives keeping the offense on the field and the defense off it. Murray picked up a number of 3rd and 2's and 3's which were downs and distances Romo had to pass a lot on in previous seasons. Part of what made him so efficient last season was not having to put the ball up as much in those situations.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Please don't kill the messenger...................

Count LaDainian Tomlinson, the TCU star and Chargers standout running back, in the camp of those who feel DeMarco Murray could have gained more yards last season.

What I do like about what LT had to say is, "Murray knows his strengths".


continue reading the article here...

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...arco-murrays-season-couldve-been-better.html/

Yeah, and maybe LaDainian could half gained more than 280 yards on 75 attempts the last year he played in the pros. I imagine he left a lot of yards on the field that year. Like Emmitt, he had a 1,800-yard season many years ago. Now they are home sitting on there butts and bad-mouthing a still-young player.

Someone needs a life and I hope LaDainian and Emmitt find one.

 

[KJJ]

You don't have to be a hall of fame runner to know what anyone who watched every Cowboys snap knows.

Murray had a great season. If he was better it could have truly been something else.

All the criticism Murray has received despite having a great season in which he set a franchise rushing record could end up backfiring in the face of his detractors if the backs the Cowboys currently have don't get the job done in 2015. Many who've been critical of Murray may end up appreciating what he accomplished in 2014 if the running game ends up doing in the Cowboys 2015 season. Right now the Cowboys don't have anyone better than him and that's a concern. I'll tell you one thing Demarco Murray is going to be VERY MOTIVATED when he faces the Cowboys this season with all the slaps he's taken from Cowboy fans, Randle and Emmitt. The Cowboys defense better be ready to play when they face him because don't think he hasn't been hearing about all the yards he supposedly left on the field. I doubt he'll leave any on the field when he faces the Cowboys. We found out last season how good he can look when he's motivated.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

All the criticism Murray has received despite having a great season in which he set a franchise rushing record could end up backfiring in the face of his detractors if the backs the Cowboys currently have don't get the job done in 2015. Many who've been critical of Murray may end up appreciating what he accomplished in 2014 if the running game ends up doing in the Cowboys 2015 season. Right now the Cowboys don't have anyone better than him and that's a concern. I'll tell you one thing Demarco Murray is going to be VERY MOTIVATED when he faces the Cowboys this season with all the slaps he's taken from Cowboy fans, Randle and Emmitt. The Cowboys defense better be ready to play when they face him because don't think he hasn't been hearing about all the yards he supposedly left on the field. I doubt he'll leave any on the field when he faces the Cowboys. We found out last season how good he can look when he's motivated.

I have no concern for our ability to run the ball. None.

 

[KJJ]

I have no concern for our ability to run the ball. None.

I'm sure the Cowboys will be able to run the ball but it's picking up the tough chain moving yards on 3rd down I'm concerned about. I don't see Murray's power or stiff arm in any of the backs the Cowboys currently have. The OL may be great but it's not going to open up huge holes every play you have to have a back who can make defenders miss and who can lower their head and push the pile for a couple of tough yards.

 

[gimmesix]

I like Murray. Great player. Great teammate. Great guy. But how do you know why he cut back? It sure wasn't the only time he did something like that.

On that play, it was pretty easy to tell, and I'm not saying I hold it against him. Williams was blocking his man away from the sideline. Murray started to go that way, but Williams' man made a move like he was going to get around him and cut Murray off, so Murray cut back inside into the tackler. I can understand why he didn't trust his blocker (and it was a split-second decision), but Williams' positioning on that play made it to where he could only block the defender away from the sideline. Once Murray cut back inside, it was either be tackled or break the tackle.

There were plenty of other occasions (better examples) where Murray's decision-making wasn't the best in the open field. That play was just one that I recently rewatched and I thought typified the pluses and minuses of Murray.

 

[percyhoward]

McFadden can pickup the blitz.

When he's in the game, anyway.

 

[Primetime42]

I agree. Except for the 'hope he does well, just not against us' part. I hope he has a dismal season in PHI and his contract is a loadstone.

I see your point. But like I said, at the end of the day, I don't care what he does. He's an Eagle, not a Cowboy.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

I'm sure the Cowboys will be able to run the ball but it's picking up the tough chain moving yards on 3rd down I'm concerned about. I don't see Murray's power or stiff arm in any of the backs the Cowboys currently have. The OL may be great but it's not going to open up huge holes every play you have to have a back who can make defenders miss and who can lower their head and push the pile for a couple of tough yards.

The line dictates whether we can pick up those touch chain moving yards on 3rd down moreso than the RB does.

Much moreso. Cannot stress that enough.

 

[KJJ]

The line dictates whether we can pick up those touch chain moving yards on 3rd down moreso than the RB does.

Much moreso. Cannot stress that enough.

Not always go back to last season and review all the short yardage situations where Murray powered his way for first downs where there was no where to run. He lowered his head and pushed the pile picking up the necessary yardage. There were many times where he had to stiff arm his way through traffic and use his cutback ability to make a defender miss to move the chains. McFadden looks stiff which makes it difficult for him to shake and elude defenders. The Cowboys will run the ball but I don't think they will run it as efficiently as last season. You don't lose a talented back and not lose something. I expect Romo to have to throw the ball more in 2015 and that may not be a good thing. It will increase the chances he'll be injured, his efficiency will go down and his turnovers will go up. If he's having to put the ball up a lot on 3rd and 2's and 3's in situations Murray was efficient at it's going to lead to some issues the Cowboys didn't face last season.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Not always go back to last season and review all the short yardage situations where Murray powered his way for first downs where there was no where to run. He lowered his head and pushed the pile picking up the necessary yardage. There were many times where he had to stiff arm his way through traffic and use his cutback ability to make a defender miss to move the chains. McFadden looks stiff which makes it difficult for him to shake and elude defenders. The Cowboys will run the ball but I don't think they will run it as efficiently as last season. You don't lose a talented back and not lose something. I expect Romo to have to throw the ball more in 2015 and that may not be a good thing. It will increase the chances he'll be injured, his efficiency will go down and his turnovers will go up. If he's having to put the ball up a lot on 3rd and 2's and 3's in situations Murray was efficient at it's going to lead to some issues the Cowboys didn't face last season.

In the interest in not rehashing an old argument i'll just say this....

...get your popcorn ready.

 

[KJJ]

In the interest in not rehashing an old argument i'll just say this....

...get your popcorn ready.

The last person who said that things didn't turn out the way we wanted. I'm not sold on the backs we have until I see them produce consistently.

 

[percyhoward]

The line dictates whether we can pick up those touch chain moving yards on 3rd down moreso than the RB does.

Much moreso. Cannot stress that enough.

Dallas Short Yardage Conversions 2011-14
Murray 55 of 76 (76.3%)
others 28 of 50 (56.0%)

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Dallas Short Yardage Conversions 2011-14
Murray 55 of 76 (76.3%)
others 28 of 50 (56.0%)

Who are the others? Down and distance? Also I really only care about 2014 as an approximation of what our line will look like going forward.

Thanks in advance.

 

[percyhoward]

Who are the others? Down and distance? Also I really only care about 2014 as an approximation of what our line will look like going forward.

Thanks in advance.

The others are all Dallas players besides Murray who had carries on 3rd or 4th and 1-2 yards to go, or from the opponent's 1 or 2-yard line on any down.

 

[percyhoward]

2014 only
Murray 30 of 38 (78.9%)
others 3 of 5 (60.0%)

 

[Toruk_Makto]

2014 only
Murray 30 of 38 (78.9%)
others 3 of 5 (60.0%)

So Murray was good (we knew that) . The other sample size is too small to gleam any information.

Maybe I'll prove naive.... But I look at team as such as Baltimore and new England with inferior skill positions and line and they ran just fine.

We shall see. I am not worried. Perhaps famous last words? But I doubt it.