I find it stunning when I read members of the media (many ex-players) that say "run him until his feet bleed"
I find it stunning when I read fans on this message board that say "run him till he pukes"
Dallas is having a special start to this season. It APPEARS that we are a Super Bowl contender. The primary reason is because of the running game. It has covered a lot of warts on this team. To have a LEGITIMATE chance of making a Super Bowl run....the running game is going to have to remain strong for 16 weeks AND a playoff run. ANYBODY who thinks that Murray's effectiveness will remain at the same level for the rest of the regular season AND the playoffs is simply out of their mind IMHO!
This is NOT about Murray and some rushing record. This is about the Dallas Cowboys having the most succesful season it possibly can. And whatever numbers he has at the end of our season....record or no record...will be what they will be.
In order for this ride the DALLAS COWBOYS are on to continue....Murray's workload MUST be reduced. Reduced during the week....reduced during the game..and heck if our playoff seeding is locked in....he can even sit the last game as far as I am concerned. The reason "RB by commitee" is the approach in the MODERN day NFL....is because defenders are too big....too strong....too fast....and RBs simply cannot absorb what Emmit did. Not saying Emmit was not special...because he definitely was. But I don't know if he could do today....what he did in the early 90s. Not only that...there are plenty of people on this offense that are getting a paycheck, so this should not be about working DeMarco like a rented mule. Using Escobar..using Williams...using Beasley....using Randle....using Dunbar....will keep Dez, Witten, and DeMarco fresh...and it will make defenses have to gameplan for everyone.
Needles to say....I am not on board with DeMarco chasing Eric Dickerson....and I hope this organization does not get caught up in that....and lose sight of the REAL prize
And if they don't make it to the playoffs? What then? Yes, you've spared him 30, 40...50 carries to keep under the boogeyman number of 370, but you also have nothing to show for it but next year, which may or may not happen, because he could go down in training camp, pre-season etc. You can't protect this man from injury...it happens...just a question of when and where.
Your opinion is that Randle and Dunbar can do what Murray is doing. Maybe they can, but likely they can't. They are definitely not as physical as Murray...they don't have his size either, let alone his blocking prowess. Murray could go down on the practice field tomorrow and then what? The assumption that this team has the playoffs already in the bag is specious, and its the same argument that everyone is using to harass the Cowboys about his carries. The talk is that he's wearing down and slowing down, but what about every other player on both sides of the ball...the attrition of an NFL season does not just affect a running back...offensive and defensive linemen are crashing violently against each other for 60-80 snaps per game for 16 weeks...injuries are going to happen and you won't get to choose when or where they occur.
The bottom line is this...the Cowboys are like a perfect storm right now...swirling over an ocean of high latent heat...there is an equilibrium that is keeping everything tightly wound. Disturbing that equilibrium by choice seems counterproductive and the coaches must be wary of the team's late season swoons. Momentum lost is sometimes tough to regain. Granted an injury might take that choice from them, but Dallas must win now and worry about pitch counts later. Otherwise, they are putting the cart before the horse. Murray will be THE biggest reason that Dallas makes the playoffs...
if they do in fact make it.
