Philadelphia Eagles

DeMarco Murray struggles as Eagles go away from what works for him

Published Oct. 26, 2015 11:33 a.m. ET

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After racking up his first 100-yard game as a Philadelphia Eagle in Week 6, DeMarco Murray took a step backwards in the team's Week 7 loss. He finished with just 65 yards rushing on 18 carries.

The Eagles' offensive line deserves some blame for Murray's struggles -- they were forced to shuffle in more replacement-level talent when all-pro left tackle Jason Peters left the game with an injury.

However, head coach Chip Kelly refused to stick with the power-running blocking plays that worked so well for Murray in Week 6 and the first couple of drives in Week 7. He began using Murray on sweeps and stretches, again, and these resulted in some very predictable negative plays.

When the Eagles return from their Week 8 bye, don't be surprised if we see more Ryan Matthews. The Eagles' other running back finished with 97 rushing yards on just six carries. His 63-yard rushing touchdown came on an outside run where he displayed excellent burst to the edge.

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