Cowboys Face Uphill Battle Without Star RB DeMarco Murray
DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) - The Dallas Cowboys were handed a stunning and painful 37-34 loss from Eli Manning and the New York Giants Sunday night at Cowboys Stadium, in a game that saw Dallas blow at least a 12-point lead in the 4th for the third time this year.
In the loss, Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray fractured his right ankle on an eight-yard carry in the first quarter. Felix Jones replaced Murray and finished the night with 106 yards on 16 touches.
Murray will see his rookie season end with 897 yards on 164 touches and two touchdowns and catching 26 passes for 183 yards.
After the game, a defeated quarterback Tony Romo disparagingly said, "DeMarco has been a big part of this offense and a big part of this football team," but added, "We are lucky to have a guy like Felix, obviously, who can step in. He did a great job tonight. We love the depth we have."
The "depth" that Romo is referring to lies in Jones, the recently signed Sammy Morris (signed Monday) and Chauncey Washington who is currently on the practice squad.
Morris, who was cut from the New England Patriots after training camp, has played 11 seasons—Buffalo, Miami and New England—rushing for 2,955 yards and 26 touchdowns on 708 carries.
The Bottom Line
Jones has looked great of late. In the month of December, Jones has rushed for 142 yards on 22 attempts.
But the "depth" Romo speaks of isn't really there. Behind Jones, the Cowboys don't have an established rusher. Washington hasn't carried the ball since his rookie season in 2008, gaining all of nine yards on just four career rushing attempts.
Signing Morris makes sense from a football perspective because he played under head coach Jason Garrett in Miami back in 2005-06 when Garrett served as the quarterbacks coach. While he doesn't necessarily add much versatility to the Cowboys offense, he may have some familiarity with Garrett's offensive philosophy.
For Cowboys' fans, this only means one thing: forget about the playoffs this season. It's done.
Listen to Jasmine with New School, weekdays 5:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. on 105.3 The Fan. Follow Jasmine on Twitter @JasmineSadry
