Last week, Jerry Jones compared rookie running back DeMarco Murray to Eric Dickerson.
Murray responded to that by running for 135 yards on 20 carries in Sunday’s 44-7 rout of the Bills. That ran his total to 601 yards on 75 carries in the four games since Felix Jones went down with an ankle injury. Comparisons to Dickerson are obviously premature, but those kinds of numbers serve Murray very well in a comparison to Jones. Not well enough to make him the starter going forward, though.
“No,” Jones said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “The answer is I haven’t seen enough of DeMarco. I’d like about five more years of it at least and then we’ll count from there. I’m very impressed with him. I’m not at all caught up in this ‘who the lead is and who the lead isn’t.’ I know what Felix can do, too, and I’m excited about what we got ahead of us this year.”
While averaging more than eight yards a carry does make you wonder why the Cowboys would take Murray out of the lineup, there’s not much reason to get too caught up in which running back is on the field for the first play of the game. There will be plenty of work for both men once Jones makes his way back to the field and the offense should be better for having both of them available down the stretch.
As long as the offensive line keeps opening huge holes, both guys are going to have chances to make plays and help the Cowboys in their push for a playoff spot.