With Tashard Choice back in Dallas nursing a knee injury, DeMarco Murray got the start at running back for the Cowboys in the preseason finale against the Dolphins in Miami. What he showed in the 17-3 loss was enough to turn some heads around town.
Murray ran for 32 yards on ten carries, and added 64 yards on four receptions--including a 64 yard dash off a screen pass on the team’s first play from scrimmage--for 96 yards from scrimage.
It’s this sort of versatility that drew Dallas’ interest in the Oklahoma product in the first place.
"He's a natural receiver,'' said head coach Jason Garrett, per the Dallas Morning News. "We saw that coming out of school.
"The first play of the game was just a screen, nothing real complicated, but I thought the timing of that thing looked pretty good to me. It was well blocked and he made a good run.''
Murray was fairly pleased with his performance in the second preseason game of his career, but still sees ample room for improvement.
"I thought I did well for the most part,'' Murray said. "There definitely were a few times when I could have finished the play. On special teams, I could have done a lot better.
"More repetition, more practice, I'll get better.''
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW Sports on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe to this free service. Read more about it here.
