Archer@ESPN:Best/Worst Case For Demarco Murray

[SixisBetter]

IRVING, Texas -- In order to break out of their 8-8 doldrums, the Dallas Cowboys will need a lot to go right in 2014.

This week we take a best-case, worst-case look at five offensive and defensive players who will go a long way in shaping the Cowboys’ season.

DeMarco Murray

Best-case: He's a closer

Murray
Murray ran for 1,121 yards last season and scored nine touchdowns on the ground. He was added to the Pro Bowl. When he plays well, the Cowboys play well. It’s as simple as that. The Cowboys have to use him more. Health will be an issue. He has yet to play a full season. But the Cowboys must use Murray more in the second halves of games and in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter of games last season, he carried just 43 times for 207 yards. In the second halves of games last season, he carried just 89 times for 391 yards. In the first halves, he carried 128 times for 730 yards and eight touchdowns. For his career, he has 104 carries in the fourth quarter for 505 yards. With a defense that will need a lot of help, the Cowboys will have to finish off games by pounding the ball to kill the clock. They don’t need to alter their approach early in games. They still need to score points to get two-score leads that make running the ball make a lot more sense. The Cowboys drafted Zack Martin, in part, to be better running the ball late in games. Think back to the Green Bay game last season or the Detroit game in 2011. The Cowboys had big second-half leads and didn’t run it. Maybe it was Jason Garrett’s hubris. Maybe it was the lack of faith in the running game. There are no excuses now, even if Scott Linehan has leaned to the pass as a playcaller. If Murray is a closer, then the Cowboys can contend in the NFC East.

Worst-case: He can’t stay healthy

This was the same worst-case scenario discussed with Tony Romo. Sean Lee gets criticized for his inability to stay healthy. Murray has yet to play a full season either. Murray missed three games as a rookie. He missed six in 2012. He missed two games last season. The Cowboys are 4-6 without Murray. He is a difference-maker, but he can only be a difference-maker if he is on the field. The best running backs are durable. That was Emmitt Smith's best trait. He was there every week and he produced. If Murray goes down, the Cowboys are looking at Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle or Ryan Williams as their top back. Dunbar is not built to be an every-down back. Randle took over in Murray’s absence last season and averaged 3 yards per carry. In late-game situations, the Cowboys couldn’t kill the game, especially at Detroit. Williams has a pedigree, but he has played in five games in his career because of injury. If Murray can’t stay healthy, the look of the Cowboys’ offense changes drastically and that is not something they can afford.

 

[Doomsday]

Dunbar is not built to be an every-down back.

Same height and weight as Emmitt Smith. But with a little more speed and ability to turn the corner outside. How can they know what they have here since they've never tried. They just make assumptions and go on them.

 

[Midswat]

Height/weight doesn't equal build.

Think Julius jones. Or remember Aveion Cason? Those two backs had a typical ht/wt combo for a rb but when you looked at them
they had smaller legs and were top heavy. Cason especially.

 

[cmd34(work)]

Dunbar fumbles too much.

 

[Doomsday]

Dunbar fumbles too much.

That can be trained out of him. Not with this current staff though, granted.

That was one of the knocks on Emmitt coming out of college, the turnover flaw. Jimmy told his staff, "Hey, let's get rid of the words 'don't fumble.' Because you're planting that negative seed and putting it in their minds TO fumble. Let's use exclusively, 'protect the football' instead." Emmitt taught himself to protect the football and made it a priority.

Contrast that with another back Jimmy recruited out of HS to come play for him at Oklahoma State. This back never got to play for Jimmy because Miami came calling and Jimmy left to coach there. But this guy was a really good, nifty and gifted back who played in four super bowls but had a terrible turnover flaw. He was a fumbler. Thurman Thomas. Might not have been, if he would have had the chance to play for Jimmy.

Height/weight doesn't equal build.

Think Julius jones. Or remember Aveion Cason? Those two backs had a typical ht/wt combo for a rb but when you looked at them
they had smaller legs and were top heavy. Cason especially.

Right but, that's not quite the case with Dunbar.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

I'd bet anything that if you put them both on a scale at their playing weight, there's 20 pounds of difference. At least.

You can't trust these roster heights and especially weights.

 

[Doomsday]

You can't trust these roster heights and especially weights.

That's sure true.

But I would like to see a situation where Dunbar gets 25 carries, just to see what he's really got.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

With this bunch we'd be lucky to run it 25 times total. :sad

 

[Doomsday]

With this bunch we'd be lucky to run it 25 times total.

Three first round draft choices in the o-line and we don't wanna run the damn ball. How stupid is this?