Latavius Murray was the Raiders’ best running back in training camp and the exhibition season.
In the final preseason game, a victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Murray carried eight times for 41 yards and a touchdown, much of it against the Seahawks’ No. 1 defense. And over four summer games, he averaged 4.1 yards per carry, churning out 94 yards on 23 attempts.
Though Murray began the season No. 3 on the depth chart at his position, behind Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden, it seemed that it was only a matter of time before the big (6-foot-3, 225 pounds), bruising running back in his second year from Central Florida would get his chance in 2014.
Yet through the Raiders’ first nine games, Murray was almost invisible. He had just six carries for just 11 yards and went five consecutive games without a rushing attempt.
In Sunday’s 13-6 loss to the Chargers in San Diego, however, Murray put some late life in Oakland’s dormant running attack.
He had just four carries, but broke of 23- and 14-yard runs as part of his 43 yards rushing – a 10.8-yard average. He also had three receptions for 16 yards, including a 10-yarder.
With six games remaining in the season, the Raiders may have finally found the guy to run the football. McFadden is averaging just 3.5 yards per rush (393 yards on 113 attempts) and Jones-Drew is getting only 2.1 yards per attempt (70 on 33 tries).
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“It felt good to get in there and run the ball,” Murray told Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. “It always does, so I was definitely pleased. I left some plays out there also. I dropped a pass on a slant. But I was able to get better and I’m ready for work next week.”
The 0-10 Raiders’ next opportunity comes quickly, a Thursday night matchup with the Chiefs at O.co Coliseum. Kansas City has a rugged defense, so if Oakland hopes to run the ball and take the pressure off rookie quartrerback Derek Carr, it seems as if the Raiders coaching staff will need to give the ball to Murray more often.
What Murray did against the Chargers caught the attention of head coach Tony Sparano.
“I thought he ran the bll well,” Sparano told the media after Sunday’s loss. “There were some things for him that maybe weren’t there early in the game for Darren. Latavius is a big, strong kid. We’re trying to get him more involved.”
