NewsBot
New Member
- Messages
- 111,281
- Reaction score
- 2,947
IRVING – Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray said Monday his benching in the 24-18 preseason win over Cincinnati was “a little frustrating” and all but admitted he believed it wasn’t necessary.
Coach Jason Garrett pulled Murray shortly after he fumbled in the first quarter inside the Cowboys’ 10-yard line. He didn’t return to the field until the third quarter.
“I know how important the ball is,” Murray said. “I wouldn’t say it got my attention. You can’t fumble. Since I’ve been carrying the ball from high school to college, even here, I’ve never been a fumbler. So, I’m not worried about it.”
Murray has fumbled only four times in 325 career carries. But Garrett wasn’t happy the former Oklahoma standout lost the handle just one week after the Cowboys committed six turnovers in a 12-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, a sloppy showing the coach termed “inexcusable.”
“You can’t hand the ball to a guy who is going to fumble, OK?” Garrett said Monday. “Those should be safe plays, control-the-game-type plays. If the ball comes out we really don’t have a chance to be a good football team.
“Obviously last week in Arizona, we turned the ball over six times. We have made a huge emphasis on taking care of the ball and taking the ball away all through the offseason, all through training camp and then we have a game like that. And we make a further emphasis as a staff, as a football team all week long, and then on the fifth or sixth play of the ball game the ball comes out in the shadow of our own goal posts. Can’t happen. I don’t care who you are. It can’t happen.”
Phillip Tanner replaced Murray, who watched from the sideline with his helmet on and his hands on his hips.
“I let it marinate a little bit,” Murray said. “It was a little frustrating, I got to be honest. But I’m just trying to make plays. I’m a competitor. I wasn’t mad at any one. I wasn’t pouting on the sidelines. I wasn’t anything. I was waiting for my opportunity to get back in the game. Once my number was called, I was ready to play.”
Running with what appeared to be a chip on his shoulder, Murray amassed 45 yards on eight attempts in the third quarter and scored a touchdown on a 7-yard catch. He said his quality production after he returned to the game had nothing to do with being motivated by the benching.
“I made a mistake and I can’t let that happen,” said Murray, who Garrett said also blew an assignment on a play that resulted in the Bengals sacking Tony Romo on the first play of the game. “No one needs to motivate me. I know how to motivate myself. Just got to do things better.
“…We know how important the ball is. I think there are different approaches to go about (emphasizing ball security), so they chose to go about it that way. And I respect that. Just go to take care of the ball. At the end of the day, that’s the whole message.”
Garrett praised Murray for the way he handled the benching.
DeMarco is a man,” Garrett said. “He understands team. He understands what his role is on this football team and we just felt like that was the right thing to do. And he responded exactly how we thought he’d respond, came back really hard and really well and took care of the rock and we will keep doing that going forward.”
Garrett didn’t rule out benching players in regular season games. But when asked if he thought Tony Romo would get yanked after throwing his first interception, Murray said, “I highly doubt that.”
Continue reading...
Coach Jason Garrett pulled Murray shortly after he fumbled in the first quarter inside the Cowboys’ 10-yard line. He didn’t return to the field until the third quarter.
“I know how important the ball is,” Murray said. “I wouldn’t say it got my attention. You can’t fumble. Since I’ve been carrying the ball from high school to college, even here, I’ve never been a fumbler. So, I’m not worried about it.”
Murray has fumbled only four times in 325 career carries. But Garrett wasn’t happy the former Oklahoma standout lost the handle just one week after the Cowboys committed six turnovers in a 12-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, a sloppy showing the coach termed “inexcusable.”
“You can’t hand the ball to a guy who is going to fumble, OK?” Garrett said Monday. “Those should be safe plays, control-the-game-type plays. If the ball comes out we really don’t have a chance to be a good football team.
“Obviously last week in Arizona, we turned the ball over six times. We have made a huge emphasis on taking care of the ball and taking the ball away all through the offseason, all through training camp and then we have a game like that. And we make a further emphasis as a staff, as a football team all week long, and then on the fifth or sixth play of the ball game the ball comes out in the shadow of our own goal posts. Can’t happen. I don’t care who you are. It can’t happen.”
Phillip Tanner replaced Murray, who watched from the sideline with his helmet on and his hands on his hips.
“I let it marinate a little bit,” Murray said. “It was a little frustrating, I got to be honest. But I’m just trying to make plays. I’m a competitor. I wasn’t mad at any one. I wasn’t pouting on the sidelines. I wasn’t anything. I was waiting for my opportunity to get back in the game. Once my number was called, I was ready to play.”
Running with what appeared to be a chip on his shoulder, Murray amassed 45 yards on eight attempts in the third quarter and scored a touchdown on a 7-yard catch. He said his quality production after he returned to the game had nothing to do with being motivated by the benching.
“I made a mistake and I can’t let that happen,” said Murray, who Garrett said also blew an assignment on a play that resulted in the Bengals sacking Tony Romo on the first play of the game. “No one needs to motivate me. I know how to motivate myself. Just got to do things better.
“…We know how important the ball is. I think there are different approaches to go about (emphasizing ball security), so they chose to go about it that way. And I respect that. Just go to take care of the ball. At the end of the day, that’s the whole message.”
Garrett praised Murray for the way he handled the benching.
DeMarco is a man,” Garrett said. “He understands team. He understands what his role is on this football team and we just felt like that was the right thing to do. And he responded exactly how we thought he’d respond, came back really hard and really well and took care of the rock and we will keep doing that going forward.”
Garrett didn’t rule out benching players in regular season games. But when asked if he thought Tony Romo would get yanked after throwing his first interception, Murray said, “I highly doubt that.”
Continue reading...