Philadelphia Eagles: Stopping DeMarco Murray Is the Key with Tony Romo Out

December 28, 2013   ·   Cody Swartz   ·   Jump to comments

With the news that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is officially out for Sunday's Week 17 finale, the Philadelphia Eagles get themselves a more favorable situation.
Backup quarterback Kyle Orton is a fine No. 2 for any team, but he's not the playmaker Romo is. Orton is a pocket passer with limited mobility and below-average arm strength, meaning the Cowboys will need to be more run-based with their game plan. Simply put, the key to the game may be the Eagles' ability to slow down DeMarco Murray, one of the more underrated backs in the league.
Murray comes into the contest sporting an impressive 5.4 yards-per-carry average, tops among all running backs with at least 200 attempts. Murray ranks 10th with 1,073 rushing yards and is tied for sixth with nine ground touchdowns. He's difficult to bring down on the first hit, checking in at 2.8 yards per rush after initial contact.
The Cowboys are 11-0 lifetime when Murray gets at least 20 rushes. Much of that has to do with...

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