Latavius Murray Hits His Stride

By week three of the season, Minnesota Vikings running back Latavius Murray only had seven attempts, five rushes and 17 yards total, by week six he had 97 yards on 41 carries and had 2.4 yards per carry.

But the world is a different place for Murray now.

In the past two games, Murray had a total of 179 yards and three touchdowns and is averaging 3.8 yards per carry for the season. His total for the past five games is 399 out of 496 rushing yards and is well on his way to passing the 788 yards he had in 2016 with the Oakland Raiders

Murray’s ability to power through defenders is one of the reasons he was brought to Minnesota and it is starting to pay off. He may not be the fastest, but he can fight his way through to get to the first down or score in the red zone. He also is showing ball security which is important when you’re a big push through guy like him.

Case Keenum spoke with Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press about Murray’s tough style of play. “He’s taken a handoff and he’s moving forward. It’s fun to hand the ball off to that. When he’s moving forward, he’s got all his momentum going forward, reading defenses and making good cuts.’’

Murray also spoke with Tomasson about how he is always looking to improve how he plays on the field. “I think I’m getting smarter the older I get. I know as I get older, obviously my body gets older, and I think I just need to continue the mental part of it, and that allows me to go out and play fast.”

But the physical part is just as important. Murray has surgery on his ankle is the beginning of the season, but it is improving and getting “back to normal.” With his ankle on the mend and his break out plays on the raise, there really is no stopping Murray now.