Dallas Cowboys rookie running back DeMarco Murray has been on a tear the last three weeks, and he may just be the difference the Cowboys need to put together a solid playoff run in the second half of the season.
Murray had 139 yards rushing this week on 22 carries, along with 4 receptions for 47 yards as the Cowboys defeated the Seattle Seahawks 23-13.
In the last three games, the Murray has 55 carries for 466 yards, and another 45 yards receiving. He is averaging over 170 yards from scrimmage, and almost 8.5 yards per carry in the three-game stretch. And the third round draft pick is starting to get noticed.
“He runs really, really hard,” Cowboys TE Jason Witten said. “Obviously, we have seen those big runs he’s had, but he turns 2- or 3-yard gains into nice 10-yard gains. He takes some big hits and he gets up. He’s been a dynamic player for us. Our offense and really our team has been better and had success because of the way he plays.”
And he’s not just getting noticed from his teammates, but he is earning respect from his opponents as well.
“We could not tackle Murray,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said after this weekend’s game. “We missed him time and time again.”
“He’s a cut-back guy,” Seattle safety Earl Thomas said. “He’s patient. He’s turning out to be the star on the Cowboys.”
The Cowboys are 2-1 in the last three games, and the strong running game takes some of the onus off of quarterback Tony Romo. Based on QB efficiency, Romo has turned in two of his three best performances the last three weeks.
With the Cowboys sitting at 4-4 and two games behind the Giants, they still have a shot at the playoffs and catching the Giants isn’t out of the question either, since they play each other twice in the last four weeks of the season. Murray solidifying the running game combined with the Cowboys 7th ranked passing attack gets them a big step closer to the playoffs.
