Dallas Cowboys: Alfred Morris may have saved job in Hall of Fame Game
By Randy Gurzi
A good night of work by veteran running back Alfred Morris may have saved his job with the Dallas Cowboys which has been in jeopardy all offseason
A stat line of seven rushes for 42 yards may not scream Pro Bowl player, but it was huge for Dallas Cowboys backup running back Alfred Morris on Thursday Night. With all eyes focused on the Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame Game, Morris was the best running back for a team that suddenly has some questions at the position.
Not much can be expected out of the two teams that meet for the league’s annual extra preseason game. Not only is it the first exhibition game of the season, but it also comes early on in camp and starters rarely see the field.
What it does provide — besides some actual football, finally — is a chance for many backups to show they can succeed when given the chance. That’s exactly what Morris did, as he and Rod Smith were the only two halfbacks that looked capable for Dallas against the Cards.
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Darren McFadden started the game and was awful. His long run of the night was just two yards, and he finished with a net six-yard loss on three carries. Supporters would say he had backup offensive linemen, but so did Morris — and both played mainly against backups as well.
As for Morris, he looked quicker than normal and had a long rush of 25 yards. He not only outplayed McFadden, but the recently signed Ronnie Hillman was in Morris’ shadow as well on Thursday. Hillman went for just five yards on six carries and looked nothing like the once-explosive player he used to be.
Rod Smith impressed as well, despite his per-carry average being only subpar. He had 64 yards on 18 carries, but looked decisive and had plenty of burst once he saw a hole.
The performances by the two were important as Dallas faces the possibility of some time without 2016 NFL rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott as a potential suspension looms overhead. It had been presumed that McFadden would start should Zeke be suspended and that Smith and Morris were battling for the backup roles. Early reports from camp ad the recent addition of Hillman suggested the end was near for Morris.
That may no longer be the case as he not only outplayed Run DMC, but also is way more durable. The former Washington Redskins back has never missed a game due to injury as his only two missed games — both in 2016 — were as a healthy scratch for Dallas. McFadden, on the other hand, has only made it a full 16 games twice in nine seasons and missed 13 last year after an offseason elbow injury. On top of this, McFadden’s play last season was less than spectacular as he averaged just 3.6 yards per tote on his 24 carries.
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Morris may not be the same player who ripped off 1,613 yards as a rookie, but he’s a savvy veteran that gets better the more touches he gets. He’s arguably a better option to start in Elliott’s absence than McFadden, and he did his best to make that case in his first preseason game this year.