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Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray set an NFL record by being the first player in league history to rush for at least 100 yards in seven straight games to start off a season during the 31-21 win over the New York Giants on Oct. 19. Murray beat the previous record set by Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown in 1958.
DeMarco Murray rewrote the NFL record books on Oct. 19.
The Dallas Cowboys running back has now rushed for at least 100 yards in the first seven games of a season, eclipsing the 56-year-old mark set by Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown. Murray ran for 128 yards during the 31-21 win against the New York Giants on Oct. 20. This puts him on pace to rush for 2,086 yards for the season, per the Cowboys’ official website:
“Whether he likes it or not, DeMarco Murray now has to be mentioned with the likes of some of the NFL greats, including Hall of Famer Jim Brown.
“And after Sunday, there’s at least one stat in which Murray is better is better than all of them.
“The Cowboys’ star running back became the first player in NFL history to begin a season with seven straight 100-yard games, surpassing the record Brown set in 1958 as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
“Like always, Murray didn’t take the bulk of the credit.
“‘I think we did this as a group,’ Murray said. ‘So it’s hard for me to accept this individually, and I definitely wish (the offensive line) were here. But they’re a huge part of this…the tight ends, the receivers, the entire coaching staff. But I definitely give a lot of credit to those guys, and I’m blessed to be mentioned with that, but there’s a lot of hard work that needs to be done. It’s a long season.’
“With nine games to play, Murray is on pace to rush for 2,086 yards, which is behind Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season record of 2,105 yards he set in 1984. Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson broke the record back in 2012 when he had 2,097 yards.
“Murray got to 100 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter when his 1-yard run put him right at the century mark. Two drives later, Murray scored his seventh touchdown of the season with a 1-yard run to give the Cowboys a 28-14 lead.
“‘It is special just to be part of it. It is something you don’t always get to do,’ Tony Romo said of Murray’s record-breaking start. ‘It really could not happen to a better guy. I love that kid. He will always be like a brother to me when we are done. I don’t think it could happen to a better person. He really exemplifies everything you could want in a player.
“‘If I was a coach, if I was a teammate — which I am — I think he is everything I would want in somebody that has a chance to go about it and have that record. He is talented, he is explosive, and he is physical. Then he goes out there and does it every single day. It is a great thing to see.’
“Murray’s 128 yards was the fourth-highest game total of the season. He started with 118 yards against the (San Francisco) 49ers in Week 1, followed by his current season-high of 167 against the (Tennessee) Titans. Murray then had 100 even against the (St. Louis) Rams, 149 in a win over the Saints, before 136 against Houston. Last week in Seattle, Murray had 115 yards.”
DeMarco Murray is now 1st player in NFL history to start a season with 7 straight games of 100 or more rushing yards. pic.twitter.com/sb9AigdTTK— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 19, 2014
The Dallas Morning News‘ Tim Cowlishaw lauds Murray’s achievement, but wonders how long he’ll be able to sustain his momentum:
“The question, of course, is how long this lasts. For one thing, Murray’s career high is 14 games played in a season. A variety of leg injuries have slowed him, and he even left Sunday’s game for a time to get his ankles retaped.
“The bigger question though relates to the game’s history of being unkind to backs carrying the ball 25 times a game. Most of those who have reached even 370 carries in recent seasons (about 23 per game) — Jamal Lewis, Larry Johnson, Curtis Martin, Ricky Williams to name a few — suffered injuries and serious declines in production the following season.
“‘It’s logical that, where you can, you should cut back and try to keep him fresh,’ (Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry) Jones said. ‘But how can you say when the game’s not on the line when you look at these games?’
“When Jones was asked about high-usage runners and their declines, he asked, ‘Did you include Emmitt in those numbers?’
“But the truth is that in 1985, Emmitt Smith’s finest and busiest season (and the last of the Cowboy’s Super Bowl seasons), he ran 377 times for 1,773 yards and 25 touchdowns. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry that season.
“Smith played nine more years and averaged 3.9 per carry with a high of 4.2. He was not the same back.
“For now, Murray is enjoying the ride and giving all credit to linemen and coaches, and, as a result, the Cowboys are going places — that they have not seen in years.
“‘He is talented, he is explosive and he is physical,’ quarterback Tony Romo said. ‘He goes out there and does it every single day. It is great thing to see.’
“As a result, the entire NFC sees the Cowboys when they look up. Way up there at 6-1.”
The 26-year-old Murray has rushed for 3,594 yards and 22 touchdowns on 729 carries in 44 career regular-season games for the Cowboys, per NFL.com.
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