We've detailed the potential impact and implications of DeMarco Murray's workload here before, but it went another step Sunday in Washington, which could have an effect on his usage against Miami on Thursday.
Not only did Murray tie his season-high with 25 carries against the Redskins - most of his 73 yards being of the tough variety, one would say - but he also caught six passes. The 31 touches are five more than he had in any of the four games during his breakout stretch from late October to mid-November.
To have to come back and play another game in four days is tough on any player, but especially for a guy who is being tackled on about half of the Cowboys' offensive snaps. For what it's worth, Murray said he felt like he could've turned around and played again on Monday, and did display a little pep in his step as he walked out to practice.
However, it only makes sense that Murray would feel the heavy load he's shouldered in the days after the Redskins game. As Jason Garrett said on Monday, there's a reason the pioneers of football set up the games seven days apart so many years ago, and the Cowboys have to find ways to overcome their limited time to recover this week.
"That applies to DeMarco," Garrett said, "but it really applies to everybody on our football team. So, it's the nature of it. It's on our schedule. We're excited to play in this game, and hopefully we can prepare the players the right way."
One solution, which may have been the plan all along considering the fact he only had six touches on Sunday, would be to give Felix Jones a bigger piece of the running back pie against the Dolphins.
Jones should be fresh, as his sparing use at Washington was the only work he's had since Oct. 16.
In that span, Murray has touched the ball 117 times.
