DeMarco Murray on pace to break the 30-yr-old NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yds

[gettlemanjack]

last season, at age 25, Murray was a Pro Bowler after finishing:

#3 in NFL in Rushing Yds/Carry (5.2)

#5 in NFL in Rushing Yds/Game

Now age 26, Murray is #1 in the NFL with 534 rushing yards (5.4 ypc), on a pace for 2,136 rushing yards, a total which would break Eric Dickerson’s 30-year-old NFL record of 2,105

Murray is also #1 in the NFL with 5 rushing TDs, and #1 in the NFL in runs of 20-plus yards (5)

Murray is on a streak of four straight 100-yard rushing games with at least 1 rushing TD in each game. Barry Sanders was never able to do that at any point in his career. Of the 17 Hall of Fame RBs whose career began in 1960 or later, only 7 were able to do it:

-Leroy Kelly, 4 straight games, Oct-Nov, 1968

-Franco Harris, 6 straight games, Oct-Dec, 1972

-OJ Simpson, 5 straight games, Sept-Oct, 1975

-Walter Payton, 5 straight games, Nov-Dec, 1977

-Earl Campbell, 4 straight games, Nov-Dec 1979

-Thurman Thomas, 4 straight games, Jan-Sept, 1991

-Emmitt Smith, 5 straight games, Dec-Jan, 1992-93

-Emmitt Smith, 4 straight games, Sept 1995

-Emmitt Smith, 4 straight games, Oct-Nov, 1995

The 10 HOF RBs whose career began in 1960 or later who were never able to do that at any point in their careers are: Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson, Tony Dorsett, Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, Marcus Allen, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little, John Riggins, Gale Sayers

The last RB to do it before Murray was Adrian Peterson: 4 straight games, Oct-Nov, 2012. It was the only time Peterson has done it in his career.

[Johnny Rockets]

Interesting.....

 

Never doubted Murray's ability because he is incredibly talented, it's his ability to play a full season that has always been in doubt.

[gettlemanjack]

of the seven RBs in NFL history that have eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark in a season, only two got off to a better start after 4 games than Murray has with 534:

-Jamal Lewis in 2003 with 551 yards...he finished with 2,066 yards, 3rd-best in NFL history after Eric Dickerson (1984) and Adrian Peterson (2012)

-OJ Simpson in 1973 with 647 yards...that was back when the NFL season was only 14 games, and OJ became the first player in NFL history to run for over 2,000 yards in a season, finishing with 143.1 rushing yards/per game, still the best ever in NFL history (Jim Brown's 133.1 rushing yds per game over the 14-game season in 1963 is 2nd-best in NFL history. 3rd-best was Walter Payton's 132.3 rushing ypg over the 14-game season in 1977. 4th-best was Eric Dickerson’s 131.6 rushing ypg over the 16-game season in 1984, the year he established the NFL-record of 2,105)

Murray is currently averaging 133.5 rushing yards per game, which would be on pace for #2 all-time after 1973 OJ Simpson

[gettlemanjack]

only 3 RBs in Dallas Cowboy history were ever able to rush for 100 yards in 4 straight games:

-Tony Dorsett, 4 straight games, Sep-Oct, 1979

-Emmitt Smith, 5 straight games, Dec-Jan, 1992-93

-Emmitt Smith, 4 straight games, Sept, 1995

-Emmitt Smith, 4 straight games, Oct-Nov, 1995

-DeMarco Murray, 4 so far, Sept 2014

Herschel Walker was never able to do it, despite playing for the Cowboys from age 24 to 27, including a career-best 1,514 yard rushing sesson in 1988 (5th-most rushing yards in a single season in Cowboy history)

Tony Dorsett only did it once during his 11-year HOF career at Dallas, where he finished #2 in Cowboy history with 12,036 rushing yards (Dorsett is currently #8 in NFL history with 12,739 rushing yards)

Tony Dorsett, won the 1976 Heisman before becoming an NFL HOFer

[gettlemanjack]

DeMarco Murray was the 6th RB taken in the 2011 Draft behind:

-Mark Ingram (best NFL season: 602 rushing yards)

-Ryan Williams (waived by Cards, now on Dallas' practice squad)

-Shane Vereen (best NFL season: 635 yards from scrimmage)

-Mikel Leshoure (waived by Lions, currently unsigned)

-Daniel Thomas (best NFL season: 581 rushing yds)

Murray's last year at Oklahoma, he finished with 1,818 yards from scrimmage, #8 in the NCAA, #4 of anyone playing in a major conference, and #2 in the Big 12 behind only Justin Blackmon

Murray owns the Oklahoma career all-purpose yards record with 6,498 yards, and the Oklahoma record for career TDs (64), and the Oklahoma record for career receiving yards by a RB (1,512).

He is just second player in OU history to surpass 1,000 yards in three categories with 3,524 rushing yards, 1,512 receiving yards and 1,462 kick return yards.

He was All-Big-12 each of his four years at Oklahoma after coming out of high school rated the #1 RB recruit in the nation by ESPN (and the #6 overall recruit at any position)

[gettlemanjack]

only 3 RBs in Dallas Cowboy history were ever able to rush for 100 yards in 4 straight games:

-Tony Dorsett, 4 straight games, Sep-Oct, 1979

-Emmitt Smith, 5 straight games, Dec-Jan, 1992-93

-Emmitt Smith, 4 straight games, Sept, 1995

-Emmitt Smith, 4 straight games, Oct-Nov, 1995

-DeMarco Murray, 4 so far, Sept 2014

Herschel Walker was never able to do it, despite playing for the Cowboys from age 24 to 27, including a career-best 1,514 yard rushing sesson in 1988 (5th-most rushing yards in a single season in Cowboy history)

Tony Dorsett only did it once during his 11-year HOF career at Dallas, where he finished #2 in Cowboy history with 12,036 rushing yards (Dorsett is currently #8 in NFL history with 12,739 rushing yards)

DeMarco Murray is averaging 5.0 rushing ypc for his career (including 5.5 ypc in 2011 in route to 900 rushing yds, 5.2 last season in route to 1,121 rushing yds, and 5.4 thus far this season

HOF RB Tony Dorsett never ran for 5.0 ypc during his NFL career, his best was 4.8 in both 1977 and 1981

Hershel Walker also never ran for 5.0 ypc during any season in his 12-year NFL career

HOF RB Emmitt Smith ran for over 5.0 ypc only once in his NFL career, 5.3 in 1993. His next-best was 4.7 in 1995

[The Huddler]

on my fantasy team. fug yes

[Kakarot]

Good RB, and running behind a great Dallas OL, but he won't break it.

[gettlemanjack]

counting regular season games only:

from the start of last season until now, Murray is #2 in the NFL with 1,655 rushing yards, behind only LeSean McCoy's 1,799 (1,607 last season, 192 this season)

-Marshawn Lynch is #5 with 1,491

-Frank Gore is #7 with 1,386

-Adrian Peterson is #8 with 1,341

from the start of last season until now, Murray is #1 in the NFL with 91.9 rushing yards per game played, followed by LeSean McCoy (90.0) and Adrian Peterson (89.4). Nobody else has over 79.9.

-Marshawn Lynch is #6 with 78.5

-Frank Gore is #12 with 69.3

from the start of last season until now, Murray is #1 in the NFL with 5.24 yards per carry, followed by Jamaal Charles (4.90), Chris Ivory (4.77), and LeSean McCoy (4.68) among qualified RBs (min 175 attempts)

-Adrian Peterson is #8 with 4.47

-Marshawn Lynch is #17 with 4.22

-Frank Gore is #20 with 4.14

[gettlemanjack]

This is the last year of Murray's rookie contract, and he is only earning $755,469

Cowboys Blog, Blogging the Boys:

"The Cowboys would like to keep Murray for a reasonable price. I have seen a figure of $3 million a year for three years bandied about. The problem is that it is almost certain that at least one NFL team with more cap space will be willing to go higher. Probably a good bit higher

...

Every 100 yard game that Murray racks up is going to make him harder to keep. Every touchdown he scores is going to make him more attractive to another team

...

Cowboys fans want Murray back next year, but it is unlikely. He will want to be paid, and he will richly deserve it. He will cash in somewhere else where they can afford to pay him."

[gettlemanjack]

Peter Schrager, Senior National Writer for Fox Sports: "Cowboys resisted temptation, took guys like Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin in first round, and are now a rushing juggernaut."

Those are the three first-round draft picks the Cowboys added to their offensive line in four years.

2011 - Tyron Smith, #9 overall

2013 - Travis Frederick, #31 overall

2014 - Zack Martin, #16 overall

[gettlemanjack]

ESPN:

the only four running backs in history to open a season with four straight games with a least 100 yards and a rushing touchdown:

1. Jim Brown (1958)

2. O.J. Simpson (1975)

3. Emmitt Smith (1995)

4. DeMarco Murray (2014)

[gettlemanjack]

Grantland:

"This year, Dallas has had quite a beast of an offensive line on its hands, and it’s as scary as it is exciting.

It all starts with the young core of Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin. These three first-rounders are leading what most would consider the best offensive line in the league

...

Frederick (age 23) may already be the best run-blocking center in the entire league — an ideal pivot point with the quickness and first step to reach defenders a whole gap over and the strength to simply blow others off the ball. ...

(When became the first rookie in Cowboys history to start every game at center), Frederick transformed what that line looked like running the ball."

[gettlemanjack]

NFL on ESPN @ ESPNNFL

Here's your #NFLRank top 5 MVP candidates right now.

1. DeMarco Murray

2. J.J. Watt

3. Andrew Luck

4. Philip Rivers

5. Peyton Manning