Philadelphia Eagles running back DeMarco Murray saw a season-low 14 offensive snaps in the team's Week 13 35-28 win over the New England Patriots.
His previous low came in Week 4, when he had just 25 snaps against the Washington Redskins, but the game flow dictated that one. With the Eagles falling behind, they turned to their passing down backs. In Week 13, Murray's low snap count was part of the plan.
Head coach Chip Kelly explained that based on the matchup, it made more sense to use his smaller running backs -- Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner. However, he also added that Sproles' ability to create positive plays consistently helped him stay on the field throughout the game.
This will be interesting to watch the rest of the season. The Eagles made some changes coming into this game after three-straight losses, and it was clear the speed of Sproles and Barner worked better on the sweep plays the team loves to run. The Birds also scored three special team and defensive TDs which limited the offensive snaps, but it's been pretty clear this season Murray isn't a great fit in this offense. Also keep in mind Ryan Mathews missed this game with a concussion and has had more success than Murray this season. The return of Mathews could also keep Murray's snap total low going forward.
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