Linehan: Too Early To Think Of Pitch Counts For Murray

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,736
Linehan: Too Early To Think Of Pitch Counts For Murray
Posted 2 hours ago

Rowan Kavner
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer


IRVING, Texas – DeMarco Murray’s expanded workload might be here to stay.

Murray’s on pace for a career-high 396 carries this year, as the Cowboys keep feeding the NFL’s leading running back who just earned NFC Player of the Month honors for his breakout September.

As play-caller Scott Linehan said, it’s tough for the coaches to take Murray off the field when he’s rolling the way he is.

“I think it’s too early to be thinking about pitch counts and stuff like that,” Linehan said. “There may be days where we’re mindful more of his carries, but he’s never really slowed down at this point. We’re full speed ahead at this point, but we’ll probably be addressing that as the year goes on. Like I said, it’s hard to do right now.”

Linehan said there may be days where the other backs can help take the load off Murray, particularly because he’s happy with what Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle have contributed in their limited roles. But it’s tough to limit the lead back.

That’s just fine with Murray, who said he feels he’s capable of rushing 400 times this year if needed.

“I’ve always been one to take care of my body, doing different things, making sure I’m healthy,” Murray said. “Some things are out of your control, but just try to do some preliminary things, make sure your body is fresh, make sure you’re ready to come to work every day and work hard. I’ve always done that since I was in college, so I’ll continue to do certain things.”

One of the reasons Linehan believes Murray is capable of bouncing back week after week is because of how Murray takes care of himself.

“To be able to see him now, his professional habits, how he goes about getting himself and his body right each week and how hard he works in practice, there’s a reason why he plays like he does,” Linehan said. “He doesn’t miss snaps, he doesn’t miss plays in practice. He takes every play that you give him. He’s mad when you take him out, and that’s his mindset. That’s the reason why he’s playing the way he’s playing, in my opinion.”

In just four games, Murray’s already got more than half as many carries as he had in 2011 and 2012. If he gets just 10 carries this weekend against Houston, he’ll have more than half as many carries as he got last year.

Even though he hasn’t played in a full 16-game season to this point in his fourth NFL season, he still feels like his body is prepared for the enhanced workload. Since his college days, Murray’s gotten used to the ice tub, yoga and mixed martial arts to get himself ready. He said his body feels good, and he’s confident he takes good enough care of his body to take the beating.

“I’m not going to go into detail, but I do quite a bit,” Murray said. “I’ve just worked hard. Just doing what I’ve been doing since I’ve been here, same training regimen. Different things obviously you try to do. But for the most part, I stick to my routine.”

That routine, along with his talent and the people blocking for him, has him running at a record pace. Murray’s on pace for 2,136 rushing yards in 2014, and he gives a lot of credit for his NFC Player of the Month honors to everyone blocking in front of him and around him.

Murray said that honor is for the whole team, and everyone is buying into what Linehan wants to do.

“We’re all jelling together,” Murray said. “There’s some guys that might not be getting the same touches that they’re used to getting, and it’s OK with them because we’re winning. We’re playing together as an offense. I think we’re having fun out there.”

Linehan said it was a major goal for the team to get the offense to buy in to the running game and make it a priority.

“Not just say it is, but go out and do it,” LInehan said. “We had to go out and prove it. So far we’re doing well, but we can’t lose sight of the fact that each week is going to be a new week. You’ve got to prove yourself every week.”

So far, the running game has proven itself in an obvious way. Murray’s got 18 more carries and 193 more rushing yards than any player in the league. His 5.4-yard rushing average is the highest among the top 15 rushers in the league.

“He’s incredible,” said center Travis Frederick. “I’ve said this from the beginning – he’s really a team running back, in the fact that he does the things that help the team. Whether it’s stretching the ball a little bit more, running up the A-gap, setting our blocks, he does those things right. And then he goes and makes tremendous plays. To have him on our team, it’s really an honor to be playing with him.”

Frederick also gave credit to the tight ends and the wide receivers on the outside for helping both Murray and the offensive line look better. But Frederick also credits Murray’s development, getting quicker, seeing the hole, hitting the hole and generally making the offensive line look better.

Murray thanks everyone around him for his success, but it’s the offensive linemen he’s rewarding most. Asked if he’s taking care of the tight ends and wide receivers as well, Murray joked that he would if he was making Tony Romo’s money.

“I appreciate the other guys,” Murray said, “but I’m concentrating on the big fellas right now.”
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,759
Especially since Joseph Randle gets carries if he is on a count.
 

Newt

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
1,148
If Ryan Williams was the back spelling Murray I would feel better about it. Randle hasn't been bad in the few carries that he has had, but I think Williams running style would be more consistent with Murray's, more down hill.
 

ravidubey

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
20,162
If Ryan Williams was the back spelling Murray I would feel better about it. Randle hasn't been bad in the few carries that he has had, but I think Williams running style would be more consistent with Murray's, more down hill.
I can see why Linehan wouldn't want to hear about Murray's pitch counts with either Williams or Randle as alternatives.

The key is picking one moment each drive to insert Randle and not ever putting him in for a whole drive. He's slow and lacks any power or quickness, so he must gain advantages from being fresh and behind good blocking and play selection/situations.

If the opposing team stacks the line with 8 or more in the box, Randle has no chance, so you need to pick plays/situations that might also appear to be passes.

2nd and anything less than 8 to go is perfect.

Randle's early 1st down carry vs New Orleans got stuffed and resulted in two missed passes and a 3 and out. Basically when he gets stuffed the coaches instantly lose faith in him.
 

Clay_Allison

Old Bastard
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
5,488
Randle may gain some benefit just from having fresh legs later in the year or later in games when the D is worn down.
 

ravidubey

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
20,162
Randle may gain some benefit just from having fresh legs later in the year or later in games when the D is worn down.
That's what it's going to have to be, ala Tashard Choice in 2008 or Julius Jones in 2004. I have no hate for Randle, just dislike the team for not taking churn at the position seriously.
 

Clay_Allison

Old Bastard
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
5,488
That's what it's going to have to be, ala Tashard Choice in 2008 or Julius Jones in 2004. I have no hate for Randle, just dislike the team for not taking churn at the position seriously.
I'm not sure why we kept the guy and didn't bring in more options. Does he just pass block like a crazy mofo or what? Hopefully after some time on the practice squad we can declare Williams ready to go and bring him up to spell Murray.
 

ravidubey

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
20,162
I'm not sure why we kept the guy and didn't bring in more options. Does he just pass block like a crazy mofo or what? Hopefully after some time on the practice squad we can declare Williams ready to go and bring him up to spell Murray.
I guess anyone looks great in pass protection compared with Dunbar.
 

L.T. Fan

I'm Easy If You Are
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
21,689
Randle may gain some benefit just from having fresh legs later in the year or later in games when the D is worn down.
Yep. And that is the time to use him for an entire series.
 

ravidubey

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
20,162
Unless Dallas has a sizeable lead, this will cause us to lose games.
Yep. It takes everything this guy has just to take what the OL gives him.

The difference between him and Murray is vast. Had Murray made the moves Randle had to make yesterday he'd have broken some good yardage. Things close down too fast around Randle. Poor guy just doesn't have anything close to NFL speed. I even felt Tashard Choice was significantly faster than Randle, and Choice was a very limited player.
 

Clay_Allison

Old Bastard
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
5,488
Yep. It takes everything this guy has just to take what the OL gives him.

The difference between him and Murray is vast. Had Murray made the moves Randle had to make yesterday he'd have broken some good yardage. Things close down too fast around Randle. Poor guy just doesn't have anything close to NFL speed. I even felt Tashard Choice was significantly faster than Randle, and Choice was a very limited player.
Choice only had good vision, that was his only trait.
 
Top Bottom