Through four weeks, Philadelphia Eagles running back DeMarco Murray wants to get the ball more in Chip Kelly's offense. After Philadelphia's 23-20 loss to Washington on Sunday, Murray was asked if he was getting enough touches and was quick to respond:
DeMarco Murray says Eagles should give him the ball more
Murray has struggled in his first season with the Eagles, but he doesn’t think he’s getting enough touches.
Evan Habeeb/Getty Images
“No, I’m not,” Murray said, via Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I don’t think I am.”
Murray followed that up by saying he knew what he signed up for, but that he expected more touches. When asked if he would take his concerns to the coaching staff, Murray said he didn’t need to go to anyone, and that “we’ll all watch film and get better.”
In Sunday’s game, Murray carried the ball eight times for 36 yards, and caught both passes thrown his way for 12 yards. Those numbers actually made for his best rushing performance of the season, since he had just 11 rushing yards coming into the game. Through four weeks -- but in three games, since he sat out Week 3 with a hamstring injury -- Murray has 29 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Although Murray isn’t touching the ball nearly as much as he did with the Dallas Cowboys a season ago, he’s also doing less with those touches, by a wide margin. Through three games last year, he had a per-carry average of 5.13 yards. Through three games this season, Murray is averaging just 1.9 yards per carry.
Still, Murray said that he enjoys playing in Chip Kelly’s offense:
Murray: "I love this offense, I love playing with these guys. It’s how it is."
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) October 4, 2015 Although he admitted that he knew Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews would take some of his touches, Murray said he also knew he'd be the "lead guy." So far this season, Mathews has 33 carries and Sproles has 21 carries, though neither missed a game like Murray.
The Eagles are just 1-3 despite Chip Kelly making several notable offseason moves, including signing Murray. Whether he’s disgruntled not being the workhorse he was last season for the Cowboys is something to watch for as the season progresses.
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