It’s only been a little more than two months since the Dallas Cowboys acquired linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. in a trade with the Tennessee Titans, but he has a clear mission in year one with his new team.
“When [opponents] are just running it down your throat, that’s just unacceptable,” Murray said recently..
In 2023, the Cowboys’ defense allowed 137.1 rushing yards per game, the 29th-best mark in the NFL. In 2023, the Cowboys finished 18th, but allowed 143 yards in the opening round playoff loss against the Green Bay Packers.
For a half of a decade, the Cowboys efforts have been, in Murray’s words, unacceptable in defending the run. In fact, they haven’t finished in the top-half of the NFL in rush defense since 2019. The goal for new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and Murray is to get back in the NFL’s elite in that category.
“I think you first thing you do to build a great defense is stopping the run,” Murray said. “I think that was really the first thing that [Eberflus] talked about was stopping the run as a pillar of our defense. I think it’s going to be a big emphasis for us.”
While Eberflus’ 2024 defense in Chicago (27th in the NFL in rush defense) wasn’t much better than the Cowboys’ squad, his 2023 defense turned a 31st-ranked rush defense into the best in the NFL, allowing just 86.4 rushing yards per game. In his four years as a coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts, his defenses finished no lower than 10th with a second-place finish in rush defense in 2020.
“Being coached by him, I’ve loved every single day,” Murray said. “The way he approaches it, you can tell that he knows what he’s talking about. He’s super detailed in his approach. He’s had guys that have played at a high level. Every day, I’m just trying to soak in what he’s thinking.”
While the biggest issue the Cowboys have faced in the last five years has been stopping the run, they haven’t had the roster or personnel equipped to do so. An argument could be made for that issue still existing, as Mazi Smith enters a critical third season at defensive tackle without a lot of depth behind him. While there has been change in the linebacker room in adding Murray and Jack Sanborn, they could be tasked with picking up the slack from the defensive interior.
Regardless, stopping the run is an intentional effort for the Cowboys during their offseason team activity (OTA) period. For Murray, it’s a lot more than just that.
“That’s something we have to take personally and that’s a mentality I’m going to bring to it,” he said. “I think it’s taking a different approach. Obviously, it’s a new staff coming in and we got some new players. I think, me, that’s something that I take extremely personally. When a team rushes on you, that’s for the front seven.”
The Cowboys will have multiple chances to prove that they have improved in that category. They will play five teams ranked in the top seven of rushing offense from 2024 including the second-ranked Philadelphia Eagles in week one, led by rushing champion Saquon Barkley.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Nick Harris is the Dallas Cowboys beat reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has experience working on the beat for DallasCowboys.com and previous work experience at Yahoo Sports/Rivals and 247Sports.