NASHVILLE, Tenn. — DeMarco Murray isn’t counting his carries, or his 100-yard games.
The Titans running back, acquired this offseason via trade, said he’s only worried about the outcome of games. His early season success, however, is a good sign for a team that’s making good on its plan of bringing a dominant run game back to Nashville.
“Every time we go into a game I tell him, ‘100 yards or more.’ That’s what I want,’’ Titans tackle Taylor Lewan said of Murray. “Because his success is our success. We get the opportunity to run the ball, and it is a huge accomplishment as an offensive line to see him get those yards. He is an unbelievable back. He makes guys miss all the time. He also lowers his shoulder. I am very impressed.”
Murray has gone over the 100-yard mark in three of the team’s past five games. He’s currently third in the NFL with 633 rushing yards, with five touchdowns, and is on pace to finish the season with 1,447 yards. It would be his best season since 2014 in Dallas, when he ran for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to being named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.
In the process, Murray has restored the roar to the Titans running game. The Titans didn’t have 100-yard rusher in 2014 or 2015. Already, Murray has more rushing yards than the team’s top running back a year ago (Antonio Andrews, 520).
Murray is averaging 90.4 yards per contest.
“I just think guys are playing well,’’ Murray said. “Obviously the previous two weeks Marcus (Mariota) was lighting teams up through the air, so this week the box got a little lighter. I am sure it is going to continue to get harder and harder, but I think with Rishard (Matthews) playing at a high level and Kendall (Wright) and the offensive line and those guys blocking well. …
“And Delanie (Walker) obviously, he is someone the defense pays a lot of attention to no matter what the situation is, and I think that is great for us. … We just have to find a way to keep it going, and to win games.”
The Titans (3-4) face the Jaguars (2-4) on Thursday night at Nissan Stadium.
Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said he’s been impressed with Murray’s all-around ability. In addition to his contributions running the ball, Murray also has a team-high 27 receptions for 192 yards and two more touchdowns.
“(He’s) very talented,’’ Bradley said. “You know what, you try to find the scheme that you really utilize the player's strength. I felt like they did that in Dallas. I didn't see him last year (with the Eagles), but they're really utilizing his strengths and his talents. He's playing at a high level. He's one of the top running backs in the league as far as yardage, but I think what's also impressive is the receptions that he has.
“It's not surprising to me that he's playing so well because I know when he was at Dallas, we had chances to watch him on tape and he's an unbelievable back. He's got great vision and great instincts. He's playing that way this year.”
Murray has 603 scrimmage yards (502 rushing, 101 receiving) in the past five games, with five touchdowns. Since 2013, he leads the NFL with 33 rushing touchdowns and is second with 4,301 rushing yards.
Since 1999, when the franchise became the Titans, Murray’s 633 rushing yards already ranks sixth for the team in the first eight games of a season. Maintaining his current pace against the Jaguars would put him at 723 yards, which would be fourth-highest “Titans era” total through eight games. It would be the most since Chris Johnson’s 959 yards in the first half of 2009.
"I think him as a player, just his versatility coming out of the backfield or doing certain things in the run game (stands out),’’ Mariota said. “I think he's an incredible player. He's a complete player—somebody that understands protections, understands schemes—and we're very fortunate to have him.”
Murray, of course, wants to keep it going.
After beginning the year averaging just 13.3 carries in the first three games, his workload has increased as well. Murray has 25, 27, 21 and 25 carries over the last four games.
When the game is on the line, he wants to be in the game, working. Behind Murray, running back Derrick Henry has 161 yards on 37 carries for the Titans.
“I think as the game goes on, no matter the carry situation, I just like to be involved in the game whether it is blocking, passing, I just like to be out there playing with the guys and trying to make an impact as much as I can,” Murray said. “As the game goes on, (defensive) guys get tired, and you just kind of get a feel for what is going on."
via TitansOnline.com.
Since taking over as head coach, Ben McAdoo has reiterated that he won’t be afraid to trust and play young players. That has been the case so far as his rookies – both drafted and undrafted – made an impact on the first half of the season.
As the Giants take stock of the team over the bye week, now’s a good time for Giants.com to do the same. Here is a breakdown of the rookies’ performances so far, beginning with the 2016 Draft Class:
CB ELI APPLE
Draft Rd 1 (10)
At the bye: 5 GP, 1 GS, 15 TACK, 1 FF, 3 PD
Drafted 10th overall out of Ohio State, Apple immediately stepped into a prominent role alongside veteran cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins. But after having 11 tackles and a pass breakup in back-to-back wins to start the season, the rookie suffered a hamstring against Washington in Week 3 and went on to miss the next game at Minnesota. He returned only to leave with a groin injury at Green Bay and again missed the following week against Baltimore. The former Buckeye hopes that’s all behind him as he not only traveled to London, but also got the start. On a four-interception day for the defense, Apple recorded three tackles, broke up a pass and forced a fumble in the victory over the Rams.
“We certainly don't want to set him back like with what happened last time,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said before the London trip. “He came off the hamstring, and then it set him back with the groin, so we don't want that to happen. We'll have to be smart about it.”
WR STERLING SHEPARD
Draft Rd 2 (40)
At the bye: 7 GP, 7 GS, 31 REC, 334 YDS (10.8 AVG), 2 TD
The second-round pick raced out to 16 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games, including a nine-yard score in his debut at Dallas. Meanwhile, Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and Shepard became the most productive wide receiver trio in the NFL through the first month of the season. Since then, the passing game has struggled to find consistency while Shepard has 15 receptions for 101 yards in the last four games. But the veteran Cruz still believes this could be the best receiving corps he’s ever been around.
“I was part of one that won a Super Bowl, but I think that right now we definitely have the talent to do so,” Cruz said. “Sterling Shepard is a tremendously talented wide receiver, as well as Odell Beckham and I think obviously on paper right now we definitely have all the intangibles to make it there, but we just have to take it one week at a time. But I do believe that this receiving corps is a pretty good bunch.”
SAFETY DARIAN THOMPSON
Draft Rd 3 (71)
At the bye: 2 GP, 1 GS, 7 TACK
Thompson was the talk of spring workouts as well as training camp after impressing coaches with his ability to bark out orders in the secondary. The third-round pick out of Boise State started opposite Landon Collins from Day 1, but a foot injury stalled his progress and sidelined him for the last five weeks. The safety depth took another hit as Nat Berhe has dealt with a concussion, forcing undrafted rookie Andrew Adams to step up. More on him later.
“I'm looking forward to getting everybody back [after the bye],” coach Ben McAdoo said. “I'd love to hit the practice field and have the full team practicing. I think that's certainly a possibility.”
LB B.J. GOODSON
Draft Rd 4 (109)
At the bye: 6 GP
Like he did at Clemson, Goodson is waiting his turn behind a veteran group of linebackers that includes defensive captain Jonathan Casillas (eight years in the NFL), Kelvin Sheppard (six), Keenan Robinson (five), Devon Kennard (three), and Mark Herzlich (six). Once he does get his shot, the Giants hope he can replicate what he did with the Tigers. In his first season as a full-time starter, Goodson led Clemson in tackles as the team went on to an undefeated regular season.
“You see B.J. getting better each week,” linebackers coach Bill McGovern said earlier in the season. “He's gaining confidence. Obviously, like any rookie coming in, when you get out on the field and you start playing with these guys, at first it could be a little bit intimidating, which he never backed away from and has always been good with. But, also now getting out on the field in actual game time where he's been playing on special teams and everything else, I think it's only helping his confidence that he is getting better with practice, with time.”
RB PAUL PERKINS
Draft Rd 5 (149)
At the bye: 5 GP, 10 ATT, 39 YDS (3.9 AVG); 6 REC, 105 YDS (17.5 AVG)
The fifth-rounder out of UCLA will be an intriguing player to watch in the second half of the season as the Giants evaluate their rushing woes over the bye week. Before the break, McAdoo was asked if he would like to get Perkins more involved in the mix at running back. He responded, “Paul is a young player. He's turned into a good special teamer for us. We look forward to him growing as a runner as well.” And don’t forget about his playmaking ability as a receiver out of the backfield. In Week 4 at Minnesota, Perkins had a catch-and-run for 67 yards, the Giants’ longest reception until Beckham’s 75-yard touchdown against Baltimore.
TE JERELL ADAMS
Draft Rd 6 (184)
At the bye: 5 GP, 3 REC, 32 YDS (10.7 AVG)
Similar to Perkins, Adams could be in line for more action down the stretch while fellow tight ends Larry Donnell and Will Tye have combined for 33 receptions and 241 yards through seven weeks.
“We are confident in the players that we have at that spot,” McAdoo said. “We are going roll Jerell and Tye in there some more with Larry and let those guys compete and whoever is playing the best is who we will go with.”
WR ROGER LEWIS
Undrafted
At the bye: 4 GP, 2 REC, 31 YDS (15.5 AVG), 1 TD
The Bowling Green product’s biggest moment came against Baltimore in Week 6 when he was forced into action after Beckham temporarily went down with a hip pointer. With the two-time Pro Bowler getting medical attention in the locker room, Lewis sparked the Giants with a 24-yard touchdown late in the first half.
“Good to get Roger [involved],” Manning said. “He’s been doing a good job; he did some good things at training camp and early on. He’s kind of waited for his opportunity to get in there.”
SAFETY ANDREW ADAMS
Undrafted
At the bye: 5 GP, 4 GS, 20 TACK, 2 PD, 1 QBH
With Thompson and Berhe out, the undrafted free agent from the University of Connecticut has started the last four weeks. In that span, the Giants have allowed an average of 20 points per game while opposing quarterbacks have a completion percentage of 58.8 and a passer rating of 70.3.
“Andrew's been solid,” Spagnuolo said. “He has made some normal rookie mistakes. They show up in the game, but if those mistakes as a safety can be ones that don't kill us in the football game, we can survive them. He had to step in there going from practice squad, not getting a lot of reps, having to be thrown in the fire right away. I think he's done an admirable job, really.”
DE ROMEO OKWARA
Undrafted
At the bye: 7 GP, 3 TACK, 1 QBH
As the Giants look for more in their rotation behind Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon, Okwara has seen his snap counts increase. The Notre Dame product has also made an impact on special teams and blocked a punt in Week 3 against Washington. However, it was nullified by a personal foul on Andrew Adams.
“I think that since we got him, in the spring, he has been working really hard to get the playbook down and he has been out there almost every day,” defensive line coach Patrick Graham said. “And he has just been steadily improving his technique both against the run and the pass and any playing time he got on Sunday, he earned it and he was productive in his role. So as long as he keeps doing that, we will be OK."
via Giants.com.
