Running back by committee is here to stay, and that’s a good thing.
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It seemed expected with the new additions to the backfield, but the days of Latavius Murray being the workhorse appear to be over.
Against Atlanta, Murray logged eight carries, DeAndre Washington had seven, and Jalen Richard was given six. The trio’s 21 carries went for a combined 120 yards — good for a 5.7 yards-per-carry average.
That split of the workload is a big change from 2015, when Oakland’s second leading rusher totaled 72 yards on the season — a mark Richard topped in just one carry.
This new RBBC definitely seems like a good thing, and it’s too bad the Raiders were trailing as opposed to leading for most of the first two weeks, otherwise the backs could gotten more work.
For Murray, he looks as good as he ever has — perhaps because the lighter workload is keeping him fresh, and maybe also because the increased competition is pushing his performance to new heights.