ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s being billed as the battle of the backup quarterbacks, but the NFC East could well be decided Sunday night by two of the NFL’s best running backs.
While the national focus for the Eagles’ matchup with the Cowboys has been on Kyle Orton vs. Nick Foles since Tony Romo’s back injury became public Monday, don’t be surprised if all of them are overshadowed by LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray once the game finally kicks off at AT&T Stadium.
McCoy makes the 9-6 Eagles go as the league’s leading rusher, while Murray could probably do the same if his injury-prone body and hardheaded Cowboys coach Jason Garrett would ever let him.
Murray’s big chance might finally have come in the form of Romo’s back injury, which resulted in season-ending surgery Friday and paved the way for Orton to make his first NFL start since 2011.
Without Romo, will Garrett and offensive coordinator Bill Callahan (a former Jets assistant) finally come to their senses and either add some balance to the Dallas offense or let Murray carry them?
That’s the big question for the 8-7 Cowboys, who have confounded all season by turning away from Murray in the second half of games despite the former Oklahoma star averaging a hefty 5.4 yards per carry.
Murray’s forced second-half disappearing act in the Cowboys’ crushing home loss to the Packers two weeks ago garnered the most attention, but that was far from an anomaly.
If egregious is what you’re looking for, the Cowboys’ narrow escape at home against the lowly Vikings in Week 9 is still the worst example of Garrett’s pass-first myopia.
Romo threw 51 passes while Dallas ran the ball just nine times that day, which largely explains why the Cowboys had to rally for a 27-23 win over a Minnesota team that was 1-6 at the time.
Common sense would seem to dictate that Garrett & Co. would at least get a little conservative with a rusty, mistake-prone backup quarterback and a running back that’s averaging better than a first down every two carries.
Then again, Garrett went on record after the heartbreaker to the Packers as comparing a handoff to “taking a knee.” So anything from the Cowboys’ braintrust is possible.
Philadelphia and first-year coach Chip Kelly wisely have no such allergy to McCoy, and the results have been spectacular.
The fifth-year back leads the NFL in both yards from scrimmage (2,012) and rushing yards (1,476), and is poised to become the first Eagles player since Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren in 1949 to win the league’s rushing crown.
If this elimination game does come down to McCoy vs. Murray, the Eagles have to like their chances.
That’s because Dallas’ injury-ravaged defense is bordering on historically inept under new coordinator Monte Kiffin, whom Jerry Jones dragged out of mothballs to replace Rob Ryan in the offseason.
Kiffin’s conservative Tampa 2 defensive scheme combined with key injuries (star linebacker Sean Lee will sit out this game with a neck injury) have produced disaster as the Cowboys enter week 17 giving up 419 yards a game, including 127.9 yards on the ground.
The Eagles don’t figure to be anywhere near as easy of a mark for Murray. Philadelphia goes into the prime-time matchup allowing just 3.8 yards per carry, third-lowest in the league.
The Eagles’ edge in the run game is why the Cowboys appear headed for another final-day elimination loss. For Romo’s sake, at least no one will be able to blame him this time around.
HUBBUCH’S PICK: Eagles 31, Cowboys 17.