FRISCO, Texas – It's a bit scary to glance up at the stat boards this week.
As if anyone needed a reminder, one of the NFL's most dangerous dual threat quarterbacks is coming to AT&T Stadium on Monday night.
In addition to his abilities as a passer, Kyler Murray leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards, with 296. That puts him 16th in the NFL overall, trailing his team's own top running back – Kenyan Drake – by just 18 yards.
"Obviously, he's an agile, shifty guy," said Tyrone Crawford on Wednesday. "He makes plays when he gets out of the pocket. He's going to be one of those quarterbacks where we've got to control our rush and work together."
Murray's abilities as a runner weren't needed last weekend against the woeful New York Jets. Instead, he simply passed for 380 yards while adding just 31 yards on the ground. But he has turned in rushing totals of 91, 67 and 78 this season.
Against a Dallas defense that has struggled against the run this year, it stands to reason that Murray's athleticism may come into play on Monday night.
"This game it's going to be crucial," Crawford said. "We know where he's a weapon and we've got to try to control that. Without giving away too much, we're going to rush together and keep it up."
For all their other problems, the Cowboys haven't struggled much with quarterback runs to this point. Through five games, they've only allowed 52 rushing yards from the position. Even mobile quarterbacks haven't hurt them too much. Russell Wilson rushed six times for just 22 yards in Week 3, and last weekend Daniel Jones actually lost yardage on his two rush attempts.
It might be wise to recall recent history, though. Mobile quarterbacks killed the Cowboys in the second half of last season. Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky combined for 103 yards and two touchdowns on just 20 carries in the back-to-back losses to Buffalo and Chicago, while backup quarterback Jeff Driskel ran for 51 yards and a touchdown in the Week 11 win against Detroit.
Obviously, Murray's connection with DeAndre Hopkins and the Cardinals' passing game will be an issue unto itself. But the Cowboys can help themselves by keeping Murray in the pocket.
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The Cowboys are back at AT&T Stadium next Monday night, October 19th , to take on the Arizona Cardinals. A limited number of tickets starting at $89 are on sale now. Get yours now before they sell out!
Details on all of the health and safety procedures you can expect at AT&T Stadium this season can be viewed at www.DallasCowboys.com/safestadium.
