Well-grounded Cowboy: Winning remains Murray’s focus

When the Dallas Cowboys switched from a pass-happy offense to a run-oriented attack to start the 2014 season, the reason was simple: it was considered the best way to win football games, especially late in the season to possibly make a run toward a Super Bowl title.

The Cowboys have run so well that DeMarco Murray has gone from a questionable part of the team’s future to the league’s premier running back.

Murray leads the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards on 320 carries through 13 games and is 167 yards shy of Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith’s team record of 1,773, set in 1995. Murray has a shot at the seldom-reached 2,000-yard barrier.

“Obviously, you’ve got to respect the best running back ever to play the game,” Murray said. “Just to be mentioned in the same breath as him is definitely humbling. It’s awesome to be in this position, but it’s not about individual accolades. It’s more about the wins than anything.”

It’s been a legitimizing season for Murray — who, despite rushing for 1,121 yards in 2013 and making his first Pro Bowl, wasn’t considered enough of a priority to be given a contract extension before his rookie deal’s final year.

When the Cowboys (9-4) play at the Philadelphia Eagles (9-4) Sunday night in a showdown for first place in the NFC East and control of their playoff destiny, the original premise is all that matters.

“Oh yeah, [reaching the] Super Bowl, obviously,” Murray said of the Cowboys’ goal. “It’s not just trying to get into the playoffs. It’s trying to win it all.”

Although he knew Murray was having an outstanding year, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said he didn’t know the fourth-year back was that close to Smith’s team record. But Garrett said the focus Sunday will be the same as it’s been all season: using Murray and the ground game to help the Cowboys win, regardless of individual records.

“If you ask DeMarco he would give you the same answer,” Garrett said. “It’s really focused on doing what we need to as a football team to win the game. Certainly running the football is going to be a big part of that. He will embrace that role. We have to do things that are in the best interest of our football team.”

In 2014, that’s running the ball with Murray behind the team’s talented offensive line. He has replaced quarterback Tony Romo as the the focal point of the Cowboys’ attack.

It’s the main reason the Cowboys have broken their string of three consecutive 8-8 finishes and are considered legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

It all hinges on beating the Eagles in what the Cowboys are calling a must-win.

With so much at stake, look for the Cowboys to lean on Murray even more.

“Every down, every possession, every first down has Super Bowl meaning to it, as though you were in the Super Bowl game itself,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We’re not saving anything for anything.”

Murray has already set career highs in carries, yards and consecutive games played in a season.

After earlier in the season considering reducing Murray’s load, there is no longer any pretense to the Cowboys’ thought process regarding their workhorse back. Backups Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle have five carries the past three games combined.

It’s all somewhat odd considering the opinions of Murray and the state of the running game the past few seasons.

He was considered injury prone coming out of Oklahoma in 2011. Murray, a third-round draft pick, missed 11 games in his first three seasons and had never played more than eight consecutive games without missing one with an injury.

That was the backdrop of in the off-season when the Cowboys they signed left tackle Tyron Smith to a long-term contract extension and made talks with receiver Dez Bryant their next priority.

Nary a word was mentioned about Murray.

When pressed, the Cowboys said they would wait until after the season to work on a new deal for Murray, ultimately making him prove his worth in 2014.

Even more oddly, Murray might have now priced himself out of the Cowboys’ plans.

“I don’t live my life like that to prove anybody anything,” Murray said. “I just go out there and show up and play, and I let them decide on what they like and what they don’t like.

“You get in life what you put in. The work ethic has been there. The production has been there. You’ve just got to go out and put your best foot forward and just let everything take care of itself. I don’t think I’m trying to prove them wrong or prove them right. I’m just playing the best way I can and obviously [helping] get wins.”

Murray has proved himself, setting an NFL record with eight 100-yard games to open the season and has already tied Smith’s single-season team mark of 11 100-yard games.

The key difference in finally committing to Murray and the running game, which set a team record for fewest yards and fewest attempts just two seasons ago, was the development of the offensive line.

The Cowboys drafted guard Zack Martin in 2014, giving the team three first-round picks on the offensive line and the ability to change their offensive philosophy. Smith was drafted ninth overall in 2011, and center Travis Frederick was taken in 2013.

“I think we’re certainly better on the offensive line than we’ve been,” Garrett said. “We’ve allocated the resources to do that, and we can be a big, strong physical football team. [Murray is] the beneficiary of that, and I think that guys really pride themselves on being that kind of team.”

Whether Murray benefits enough to surpass Smith’s team record and reach 2,000 yards remains to be seen. But he has other priorities.

“Just winning,” Murray said. “That’s it.”

This story was originally published December 13, 2014 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Well-grounded Cowboy: Winning remains Murray’s focus."