The Cowboys played their first regular-season game Sunday against the Giants in the post-Demarco Murray era. While the run game had their moments, Dallas netted just 80 rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry in the 27-26 win.
After much speculation, Joseph Randle started at running back for Dallas. He had only 39 rushing yards on nine attempts and one catch for 6 yards by halftime, but he was a key factor in the second half. Randle would finish with 65 rushing yards on 16 attemps and three catches for 42 yards.
Darren McFadden didn't get a lot of opportunities. He rushed for 16 yards on six carries and had one catch for 19 yards.
Lance Dunbar, however, was a major factor in the passing game. He led Dallas with 70 receiving yards on eight catches.
All in all, Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan seemed pleased with how the running backs played.
“I thought when we ran the ball it was efficient,” Linehan said, per NFL.com. “We’d like to pop a few long runs, but I didn’t think that our running game was a concern at all. There were some things that were there. It was just a weird game.”
The Cowboys lowest rushing total in 2014 was 92 yards on 25 carries.
“We got the dirty yards we needed to win the game,” Randle said of Sunday's performance.