When one running back piles up a historic 253-yard day as DeMarco Murray did on Sunday, the work of another ballcarrier is easy to overlook. While he didn't equal Murray's excellence on Sunday, fellow rookie Phillip Tanner was impressive in his own right.
Tanner had six rushing attempts against the Rams, going for 34 yards, half of which came on a 17-yard burst, which set up a six-yard touchdown. On both runs, Tanner brought a physicality the Cowboys haven't been getting from their runners.
With starter Felix Jones out with a high ankle sprain, and Tashard Choice injured as well, and dealing with fumblitis at the moment, it was nice for the Cowboys to see some strong play from the deeper parts of the backfield.
Choice, who started the game, only had two carries. Murray paced the Cowboys with 25 rushes.
"I felt he ran OK," Jason Garrett said of Choice. "Obviously, the fumble coming out in the second half is not what we want. We've got to make sure we secure the ball in that situation. He didn't get as many opportunities as the other guys did. We'll evaluate his play and see what his role is going forward."
Following his huge day, chances are Murray gets to start at least until Jones returns from his injury. Even if healthy, though, Choice's recent problems holding onto the ball may lead to him being bumped by Tanner, too.
