The Philadelphia Eagles are fighting for the NFC East while the Washington Redskins sit in control of the standings. With two games remaining, head coach Chip Kelly stressed that everyone must believe in the system and be on the same page moving forward. That includes DeMarco Murray who continues to watch his role on the team get smaller and smaller. While the Eagles continue to remain in contention for the postseason, Murray is trying to be a team player as he stressed he is fine with whatever the team asks of him moving forward.
Once again, Murray did not get the start for the Eagles as Ryan Mathews got the go-ahead nod in Week 15. He carried the ball 11 times for 58 yards while Sproles got six carries for nine yards. Murray had just two carries for three yards. It was not an ideal day for the running back who continues to fall back into the shadows of the team. Murray is no longer a key part to the team's offense despite his contract dictating otherwise. Murray remains positive saying that he will do what is asked as long as the team is winning.
"It is what it is," Murray said, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. "You always want to contribute as much as you can. We're winning. At the time, that's all that matters. ... It's different. Obviously I've never been in this situation. But we're tied for first place in the division."
Kelly does not want to hear anymore drama about the run game for the Eagles. With three successful backs on the roster, the team barely got anything going in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals. To make matters worse, the former NFL leading rusher watched most of the game from the sidelines, something that has become a trend for the team. Kelly stressed that no one is running well right now so it really does not matter what the split is with carries.
"We're not going to run it for the sake of running it," Kelly said, via ESPN.com. "Average two yards a carry and say, 'At least we ran it enough, at least everyone got touches.' It's not about getting touches. It's about winning. We're not running the ball consistently enough with anybody -- whether it be Ryan, whether it be DeMarco, whether it be Darren -- for us to be successful in the offense."
The Eagles are getting more out of Sam Bradford who is starting to hit his stride with the passing game. Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz both came up big in the loss to Arizona. As long as Bradford can continue to pass the ball well, the Eagles will try and not make the run game a focus. However, the questions surrounding Murray will not stop especially with the offseason approaching.
