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Aside from what Marshawn Lynch did for the Seattle Seahawks last season, one could make the case that the Dallas Cowboys had the best running game in the NFL. However, losing DeMarco Murray to free agency means they will most likely take a step back in 2015, despite having arguably the most talented offensive line in the league. Of course, do not tell owner Jerry Jones that, as he is convinced the running attack will be better this season than it was last year.
“When you say the entire running game — and that would be including our tight ends, including fullbacks, the entire game — we’re better. We’re better,” Jones said, according to NFL.com. “Murray certainly is in that thought, but what we’ve got a chance to do with our depth, what we’ve got a chance to do with the talent, the competition that we have, and I’m assuming that we can protect (Tony) Romo, which standing here last year, the concerns about his surgeries were more so than today.
“So if Romo can have the kind of year that he had last year, then our running game will benefit from that.”
It does not take a football expert to know that Jones is clearly delusional. I am sure fans appreciate the optimism. However, Jones is doing nothing more than making bold predictions, something he does frequently, and it has not helped the Cowboys get past the divisional round of the NFL playoffs during the Tony Romo era. Jones can inject as much confidence in his team as possible, but the reality is it will not help them perform better on the field.
The Cowboys lost a premier running back in Murray, all because they did not want to pay him the money. In 2014, Murray led the league in rushing attempts (392), rushing yards (1,845), rushing yards per game (111.5), and tied for first in touchdowns (13), among several other categories.
No offense to Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and Ryan Williams, but there is no way any of them individually or combined will be able to accomplish what Murray did. As good as the offensive line is, none of those four players can dominate the second and third levels as Murray did a season ago.
Of course, with rumors continuing to circulate about Adrian Peterson, I suppose anything is possible.
