Week 8 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: DeMarco Murray and 5 One-Week Wonders

What should teams do with a great performance by unexpected players?

Or bad performances by individuals who were supposed to be great?

Or even just first-time starters who had their fair share of bumps in the road?

Week 7 in the NFL saw the emergence of several new players, both good and bad. Many teams now have a decision to make regarding these performances as they prepare for this weekend.

Here are five players who made an impact last week as well as a definitive decision about whether or not they should be given the green light again in Week 8.

DeMarco Murray: Start

A 91-yard run, virtually untouched, for a touchdown and 253 rushing yards on 25 carries?

Murray made Dallas fans forget all about injured running backs Felix Jones and Tashard Choice last Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. He averaged over 10 yards per carry and did not fumble once.

Murray should certainly get the nod this week, especially since Felix Jones still doesn’t look ready to play.

While Murray might not be durable enough to last an entire season as the featured back, a combination of him and Felix Jones would make the Cowboys' rushing offense one of the best in the NFL. 

Murray almost certainly will not be able to replicate his amazing performance from last week, but if he can provide a steady presence in the backfield and keep tacking on yards, he could be a big boost to a struggling Dallas team.

Tim Tebow: Sit

Throughout the first 56 minutes of Denver’s game last Sunday, Tim Tebow had completed 4-of-14 passes for 40 yards. Surely he was facing a really tough NFL defense. Ravens or Steelers, maybe?

No. Tebow was facing the winless Miami Dolphins, a miserable team who was giving up almost 260 passing yards a game.

But everyone is so excited about Tebow. He has that drive to win! He plays the game with so much heart! What a gem Denver found!

Why, again, are Denver fans so excited? Did I miss something? This is the player who needed two touchdowns in the final three minutes, plus a two-point conversion, just to beat the Dolphins, right? The Dolphins who have lost 11 of their past 12 games? Who are winless and absolutely awful this season?

If Kyle Orton had played as badly as Tebow did in the first three quarters against Miami, coaches would have had to put in earplugs because the fans’ screaming would be so loud. 

And where is Brady Quinn in all this mess? Oh, that’s right, the fans were so adamant that they wanted to see Tebow play that coach John Fox demoted Quinn based not on ability but on outside pressure. Do these fans have NFL experience? Then why are they dictating who a team’s starting quarterback will be?

At the very most, Tebow should be coming off the bench to spark the offense for a play here and there. He should not be running an NFL team.

It will be interesting to see how he fares this week against Detroit. Ndamukong Suh will most certainly not be as accommodating as Denver’s fans and coaching staff. 

Christian Ponder: Start

Christian Ponder had the extremely unenviable task of starting his first game against the Green Bay Packers, probably the most complete team in the NFL.

Despite such a daunting task, Ponder performed well. He was not great, but he was much better than many expected.

He threw for 219 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ponder must work on his accuracy, though, as he completed just 40 percent of his passes last week. 

With the Vikings already at 1-6 on the season, the pressure is off. Ponder can take his time learning the offense and getting comfortable with his receivers. The Vikings obviously want to win now, but the coaches realize that next year will really be Ponder’s time to shine.

With Donovan McNabb still on the roster, Ponder will also be able to learn from a great quarterback who has simply lost a step over the years.

Ponder’s poise in the pocket last week was impressive. With a little more experience, the rookie can become a very reliable NFL quarterback.

Carson Palmer: Start

"Wonder" is a word that would not initially come to mind when evaluating Carson Palmer’s performance last week against the Chiefs. However, "wonder" can apply. It is a "wonder" Carson Palmer could play that badly.

Palmer was horrible last week. He had a 17.3 quarterback rating. However, he is included on this list because Raider fans should be hopeful. Palmer will not be that bad for the entire season. 

Palmer had less than a week to learn a new playbook, get back into playing shape and get familiar with his receivers. He also had no clue that he would even be playing in last Sunday's game until halftime. The only reason he played at all was because Kyle Boller was so miserable. Palmer, unfortunately, was worse.

Raiders fans should not bemoan the sorry state of their franchise quite yet. Carson Palmer has two full weeks to prepare for his next game. He has also been sitting out the entire season and will be eager to prove his doubters wrong. 

Palmer should not have been thrust into a game last week, but not all hope should be lost. He will come back against Carolina ready to play and reverse fans’ perceptions.

Montario Hardesty: Start

Peyton Hillis is either upset he still has not gotten a contract extension, is being plagued by the Madden Curse or has suddenly forgotten how to play football. Either way, the drama surrounding the Browns’ running back is too much for the team to take.

Montario Hardesty has seen spurts of action here and there throughout the season. Last Sunday’s game against the Seahawks was the first time he truly asserted himself as Cleveland’s featured back.

Hardesty rushed for 95 yards on 33 carries and caught two passes for 27 yards. His numbers were not fantastic, but for a Cleveland franchise that has been inconsistent all season, being able to rely on a single running back will help them immensely. 

Hardesy and Hillis have similar numbers on the season. It certainly seems that something is bothering Hillis and that his discontent is infecting the entire team.

Hardesty is a young running back who has shown promise. Why not give him the nod and end the team drama?