Sep 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) runs with the ball for a second quarter touchdown against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
1. DeMarco Murray, Running Back
DeMarco Murray has always intrigued me. Full of potential but limited year on year by injuries and poor play calling. Four games into this season though and he’s been the finest back in the league and the Cowboys have a running game that rivals most.
Alongside five touchdowns Murray has an average of 5.4 yards per attempt. He’s no longer the side to side white line hunting running back he’s been in the past. He’s breaking through holes and has so far avoided a total of twenty eight tackles. Only New York Jets Chris Ivory has a better yards after contact average than Murray (3.6 to 3.3). There’s still concerns with Murray’s ability to hold onto the ball. In the opening three games he fumbled each time. However when you’re raking up one hundred plus yards per game and coming out with the win you can be forgiven.
When asked what it’s like to block for Murray, Zack Martin said:
"“You look at the tape and we’ll probably see it again, but he sets our blocks up so well. He’s so good at pressing the line, makes his cut, hits the hole hard. He’s really fun to block for.”"
Scott Linehan’s influence as play caller mustn’t be shirked at. Against the Saints over half of Murray’s opening twelve carries were for two yards or less. Yet the Cowboys continued persevering with the run game. This is benefiting the Cowboys in that they’re getting results where they’d normally fail. But also lifts the burden on Tony Romo throwing for throwing sake.
For the first time in a long time the Cowboys have an identity in the running game and a balance to their offense as a whole. DeMarco is an obvious league MVP candidate right now. It’s up to the Cowboys team as a whole to continue progressing. It’s all part of the process right?