The Cowboys are 2-6, but the news isn’t all bad. They looked terrible for allowing DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s leading rusher in 2014, to leave via free agency, but Darren McFadden is making the front office look much better.
Dallas’ running game struggled with Joseph Randle heading it up, despite an offensive line that seemed improved with the offseason addition of rookie La’el Collins. Randle, who has dealt with injuries and myriad off-field distractions, has since been cut and McFadden is turning heads.
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McFadden has only recorded five negative carries this season, according to ESPN. He hasn’t seen fewer than 20 carries in any of the last three games for the Cowboys, so that figure is impressive. Since being handed the keys to the backfield, McFadden has averaged 111 rushing yards per game, and 4.38 yards per carry. Murray, meanwhile, is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry in Philadelphia’s run-heavy offense, and has been outperformed weekly by Ryan Mathews.
“It’s great to see on film,” right guard Zack Martin said of McFadden. “He’s never going down the first hit. He’s always falling forward and as an offensive line we really recognize that and see how hard he’s working.”
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Perhaps it is the workload that he’s getting now that allows him to get in a groove, but McFadden’s success can’t be pinned entirely on Dallas’ superb offensive line. Randle famously said last offseason that Murray “left a lot of meat on the bone,” but he proved he wasn’t a starting-caliber back this year by averaging 3.9 yards per carry in the Cowboys’ first five weeks.
Cowboys running backs coach Gary Brown is impressed with McFadden, and thinks he can get to 1,000 yards despite becoming the starter in Week 7.
“He has the talent to be a 1,000-yard runner every season,” Brown said. “With injuries and things it slowed him down a little bit. I think the skill level’s always been there. He’s just had an opportunity now to show it. He’s been staying healthy. He’s taken care of his body. He’s a different guy now than he probably was when he was younger.”
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