NFL Predictions Week 8: DeMarco Murray Won't Stop Rolling vs. Eagles

Last week, there was no shortage of fantasy football pundits who were walking around whispering DeMarco Murray's name like it was "plastics" in The Graduate. To mention Murray's name was to mention something great.

Shoot, I know that I spent much of my time peddling Murray. All the while, I had my fingers crossed that greatness was something achievable for Murray against the St. Louis Rams.

I don't think any of us expected a Dallas Cowboys franchise-record 253 rushing yards against the Rams, but that's what we got. Like that, Murray went from being a relatively unknown rookie running back to a star.

The million dollar question is whether or not Murray is for real. This is something that we won't really know until Murray's follow-up act against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.

Here's a hint: I think he will do quite well.

You've probably heard somebody mention that the Eagles don't defend the run particularly well, and this is definitely the case. They're allowing close to 124 rushing yards per game this season, and have allowed three 100-yard rushers. Stopping the run is something that will likely be a problem for them all season.

In particular, the Eagles have had issues with stronger running backs. Michael Turner got them for 114 yards in Week 2, and Frank Gore got them for 127 yards in Week 4. The two of them are cut from a similar mold, and I'd wager that at 6'0" and 227 pounds, Murray is also in that particular class.

That the Eagles have issues with these types of running backs is not a surprise given their personnel. The Eagles have plenty of speed on defense, but not a whole lot of power.

Obviously, Philly's opponents have had no trouble figuring this out. It is definitely more advisable to run the ball on the Eagles than it is to pass it, as they currently rank 10th in the NFL in passing defense. That's not exactly a surprise given who they have in their secondary.

Given the circumstances at play, Jason Garrett has every excuse to turn Murray loose once again. I certainly don't see why he wouldn't, anyway, and I think he's going to be quite pleased with the results.

When all is said and done, the question concerning Murray will be whether or not he can play well against a team that can actually defend against the run.

He'll run over that bridge when he gets to it.

Prediction: 24 carries, 140 yards, one TD.