Dallas Cowboys Season Hopes Are On The Run

This Dallas Cowboys season is literally running into hope. Not to say there was never any hope before, but it has increased dramatically after the first two weeks of the season. Thanks to Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s current leading rusher, the hope has…changed. Constant questions have surrounded America’s Team including possibly having the worst defense in the NFL to whether or not quarterback Tony Romo’s back will ever allow him to return to the same level.

What’s different? What does running the ball have to do with it? Well, everything.

It has saved the Cowboys season. Winning games this year might not be as attractive as the past. Don’t expect to see Romo scrambling for his life and making miraculous plays out of the pocket often. Although he may prove everyone wrong, it just doesn’t seem like he can do it physically. However, he shouldn’t have to. Short and quick passes to keep defenses guessing is the more realistic Romo to be seen this season after coming off back surgery for a herniated disc.

That’s why there’s Murray. The physicality in the way he’s running the ball right now is astonishing, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Or possibly the coaching staff is finally starting to stick with the run due to their quarterback’s recent play. Anyways, many Romo supporters have held hope that he’d to return to the same style of play after his back injury, but that hope is wearing thin. If Dallas continues to have success running the ball, it takes a load of pressure off Romo’s shoulders.

The young yet high-praised offensive line for the Cowboys is excelling with opening up holes for the run game, but struggling with pass blocking. Quite scary considering each sack on Romo can either result in losing your franchise quarterback or losing the ball. But, maybe that’s a blessing in disguise to force the Cowboys to continue to run.

Romo isn’t the only one affected by the recent run success. It’s made the defense’s job much easier. The once predicted worst defense in the NFL has already shattered expectations. In a good way. How? They’re fresh and ready when they get onto the field due to Cowboys offense now being able to control the game clock. According to Rowan Kavner, safety Barry Church felt the need to state how critical it is for the former Oklahoma Sooner to be able to keep the defense off the field:

"“He’s the best running back in the world to me, that boy milking that clock, we only had to be out there that long.”"

Church is referring to his defensive unit hardly having to be on the field for twenty minutes against the Tennessee Titans in Week Two. That’s a defensive players fantasy. If this unit led by defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli can stay away from being put into bad field position from turnovers, the best is yet to come.

Aside from the excitement of Murray possibly breaking personal and league rushing records this season, assuming he stays healthy, the fourth-year veteran is a savior to both Romo and the entire defense. It’s his year to shine. Dallas finally looked like a team with a new identity in their game-plan against the Titans, and the hope is to run into more of that each week. Literally.