Cowboys winning with rebuilt O-line By allocating resources up front, Dallas hopes to return to NFL's upper echelon Broaddus: Less Than 50% Chance Cowboys Re-sign DeMarco Murray IRVING, Texas -- When the Dallas Cowboys convened this past Wednesday to begin preparing for their "Monday Night Football" game against Washington, the team's five starting offensive linemen walked into the locker room to find large white boxes sitting in their lockers. Inside were new iMac desktop computers, bought by running back DeMarco Murray as an unsolicited gesture of thanks to the men who helped him become the first player in NFL history to rush for 100 yards in each of the first seven games of the season. "He gave them to us and said, 'Thanks. It's been a great year. Let's keep it rolling,'" rookie right guard Zack Martin said. Things are undoubtedly rolling in Dallas. In one of the biggest surprises of the season, the Cowboys are tied for the NFL's best record at 6-1. They lead the NFL in rushing, with an average of 159.7 yards per game. They have the league's leading rusher in Murray, who has gained 913 yards in seven games and is on pace to become just the eighth NFL back to top 2,000 rushing yards in a season. Prior to the season, many observers predicted Dallas' depleted defense could rank among the worst in history. But given the way the offense controls the clock by keeping the ball on the ground, it has been good enough. That is why, sitting in his office at Valley Ranch last week, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones was smiling. The plan, concocted after quarterback Tony Romo broke his clavicle midway through the disastrous 2010 season, has worked.

• published: 28 Oct 2014
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