IRVING —
DeMarco Murray has never complained about his workload this season, and never will.
Running backs are trained to want the ball and carry it as many times as possible. Earlier in the season, he declared he’d be more than willing and able to carry it 400 times this year.
And he’ll get close to that mark in what has become a career year, one which could see him become the Dallas Cowboys’ single-season rushing leader.
Murray is only 29 yards from breaking Emmitt Smith’s franchise record of 1,773 yards set in 1995, a milestone that Murray and coach Jason Garrett have stated is not important.
Neither, it seems, is Murray’s workload.
He has an NFL-leading 372 carries so far, and is a safe bet to finish with at least 385 if the Cowboys stick to their plan of playing healthy starters in the season finale Sunday at Washington.
That would be more than 150 carries above Murray’s previous career-high — 217 last season — and would be the most carries by a running back since Kansas City’s Larry Johnson set a record with 416 rushing attempts in 2006.
But is the workload finally catching up to Murray?
He has averaged 2.61 and 2.64 yards per carry the past two games, well below his season average of 4.7.
“I don’t see any signs [of him slowing down],” Garrett said. “He looks really good as a runner, a receiver, a blocker.”
Garrett went on to praise Murray’s admirable performance against the Indianapolis Colts, playing less than a week after undergoing surgery for a broken bone in his left hand. He had 58 yards on 22 carries.
“I felt what he did as a blocker in that game the other day was really special,” Garrett said. “Think about him coming off of that surgery, and the seventh play of the ballgame he has to go back and block a free safety and did an outstanding job. He’s a heck of a good football player, I know that.”
Murray typically meets with reporters on Thursdays. He was not available on Christmas, however, because he was sick and left early.
Murray has embraced being the workhorse back and bristles at the suggestion that the workload might be too much to handle.
The yards per carry might have slipped because defenses are focusing on slowing down Murray first and foremost.
“We know that’s what’s happening, and we knew that was going to happen throughout the year,” center Travis Frederick said. “It’s really been an issue throughout the year. But you just have to continue to find ways to continue to run it and then take advantage of the looks that you get because of that on the outside.
“That’s where our offense becomes two-dimensional and becomes very explosive.”
The Cowboys have been consistent throughout the season in staying patient in establishing the running game.
Even if it doesn’t seem like Murray and the other running backs are going to have much success, or if there’s an early deficit, they have been steadfast in sticking to their game plan.
For the most part, it’s worked out well, and Murray has flourished. But is it all catching up?
“Well, I just think we get a lot of attention by defenses to try to stop our running game,” Garrett said. “There’s a lot of people around the line of scrimmage. There’s a lot of movement. There’s a lot of pressures.
“But we’ve done a really good job of being persistent with our running game, continuing to try to run the football throughout the game.”
Read more here: Is workload, or opponents, catching up to Cowboys’ Murray? | The Star Telegram
DeMarco Murray has never complained about his workload this season, and never will.
Running backs are trained to want the ball and carry it as many times as possible. Earlier in the season, he declared he’d be more than willing and able to carry it 400 times this year.
And he’ll get close to that mark in what has become a career year, one which could see him become the Dallas Cowboys’ single-season rushing leader.
Murray is only 29 yards from breaking Emmitt Smith’s franchise record of 1,773 yards set in 1995, a milestone that Murray and coach Jason Garrett have stated is not important.
Neither, it seems, is Murray’s workload.
He has an NFL-leading 372 carries so far, and is a safe bet to finish with at least 385 if the Cowboys stick to their plan of playing healthy starters in the season finale Sunday at Washington.
That would be more than 150 carries above Murray’s previous career-high — 217 last season — and would be the most carries by a running back since Kansas City’s Larry Johnson set a record with 416 rushing attempts in 2006.
But is the workload finally catching up to Murray?
He has averaged 2.61 and 2.64 yards per carry the past two games, well below his season average of 4.7.
“I don’t see any signs [of him slowing down],” Garrett said. “He looks really good as a runner, a receiver, a blocker.”
Garrett went on to praise Murray’s admirable performance against the Indianapolis Colts, playing less than a week after undergoing surgery for a broken bone in his left hand. He had 58 yards on 22 carries.
“I felt what he did as a blocker in that game the other day was really special,” Garrett said. “Think about him coming off of that surgery, and the seventh play of the ballgame he has to go back and block a free safety and did an outstanding job. He’s a heck of a good football player, I know that.”
Murray typically meets with reporters on Thursdays. He was not available on Christmas, however, because he was sick and left early.
Murray has embraced being the workhorse back and bristles at the suggestion that the workload might be too much to handle.
The yards per carry might have slipped because defenses are focusing on slowing down Murray first and foremost.
“We know that’s what’s happening, and we knew that was going to happen throughout the year,” center Travis Frederick said. “It’s really been an issue throughout the year. But you just have to continue to find ways to continue to run it and then take advantage of the looks that you get because of that on the outside.
“That’s where our offense becomes two-dimensional and becomes very explosive.”
The Cowboys have been consistent throughout the season in staying patient in establishing the running game.
Even if it doesn’t seem like Murray and the other running backs are going to have much success, or if there’s an early deficit, they have been steadfast in sticking to their game plan.
For the most part, it’s worked out well, and Murray has flourished. But is it all catching up?
“Well, I just think we get a lot of attention by defenses to try to stop our running game,” Garrett said. “There’s a lot of people around the line of scrimmage. There’s a lot of movement. There’s a lot of pressures.
“But we’ve done a really good job of being persistent with our running game, continuing to try to run the football throughout the game.”
Read more here: Is workload, or opponents, catching up to Cowboys’ Murray? | The Star Telegram
