The Dallas Cowboys headed into the Oct. 23 game with the St. Louis Rams worried about their running back position. Felix Jones(notes) was hurt and the Cowboys relied on Tashard Choice(notes), third round pick DeMarco Murray(notes) and rookie free agent signing Phillip Tanner(notes) to carry the load. By the end of the game, the Cowboys might have discovered a new star running back.
DeMarco Murray broke a ton of records for the Oklahoma Sooners, including career touchdowns and all-purpose yards. In his first NFL game to receive extended action, he broke another record. Murray ran for 253 yards on 25 carries, the most yards ever for a Dallas Cowboys running back, the most for any running back so far in 2011 and the ninth most for anyone in NFL history.
And Murray wasn’t even the starter. Well, he technically wasn’t the starter. Tashard Choice started the game but only carried the ball twice for eight yards and a fumble. Rookie Phillip Tanner, who I had never even heard of before this game, carried the ball six times for 34 yards and a touchdown. And Murray set the town on fire, including a 91-yard touchdown run, the second longest in Dallas Cowboys history.
Of course, this was against the St. Louis Rams. Two games ago, the Rams gave up 135 yards and a touchdown to Ryan Torain(notes). However, it is still reason to cheer. All year, Dallas fans have wanted a strong running game and 25 carries by Murray compared to 24 passing attempts for Romo is just what the doctor ordered.
It was also a nice breakout game for Dez Bryant(notes). While Miles Austin(notes) was shut down with just two receptions, Bryant led the team with five catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. The performances by Bryant and Murray, plus the fact that Romo didn’t throw an interception in the game, proves what Bryant said earlier in the week when he called Dallas unbeatable. At least they are against teams like St. Louis.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
No comments:
Post a Comment