Cowboys' DeMarco Murray Called Best Running Back in the World

For the past two years, experts argued that the Dallas Cowboys needed to run the ball more. Finally, on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, the Cowboys played one of their best all around games in a long time. One of the big reasons was the play of running back DeMarco Murray. Barry Church told ESPN on Monday that he considers Murray to be the best running back in the world after that big win.

"He's the best running back in the world to me," safety Barry Church said. "That boy's milking that clock."

In the game Murray carried the ball 29 times for 167 yards and one touchdown. On the season, Murray has 51 rushes for 285 yards and two touchdowns. He also has two fumbles. He is averaging 5.6 yards per carry, but the best number is the one that Church has to love the most. Murray has rushed for 18 first downs in the first two games of the season. He rushed for 10 first downs in the Tennessee game alone.

No other NFL running back this season has rushed for 10 first downs combined this season, much less in one game. Dallas held the ball for a dominating 41:11 in the game, which meant their much maligned defense only needed to stay on the field for just under 19 minutes on Sunday. With so much rest, the defense remained fresh and continues to surprise doubters at the start of the NFL season.

Church said that he considers DeMarco Murray to be the best running back in the world because he really is helping Dallas milk the clock. This is hugely important, especially after last season, when the Cowboys defense ranked as the worst in the NFL. Dallas blew huge leads at Detroit and couldn't keep Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos defense off the field late in that game. It just seemed like the Cowboys refused to trust the run late in games.

Now, with one of the best young offensive lines in the NFL, DeMarco Murray is getting his chance to prove his worth to the Cowboys in his contract year. He leads the NFL in rushing after two weeks, 44 yards ahead of Arian Foster and over 100 yards better than the third best running back in the league. Plus, Murray moves the chains and helps Dallas control the clock.

Dallas heads out to play the St. Louis Rams next and that should give Murray another chance for a solid game as he continues to stake a claim to the title of best running back in the NFL. With Murray running hard, and Dallas calling smart games, this could be a surprising year for those who doubted the Cowboys could compete in 2014.

For more Cowboys news and updates, visit Cowboys Central.

Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.