3-Wide: Will DeMarco Murray break the single-season rushing record?
3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.
Does DeMarco Murray have a legitimate shot at breaking the single-season rushing record?
David P. Woods: Yes, but it's not a very good one. Murray is on pace to shatter the NFL record for rushing attempts in a season, yet he remains behind the pace needed to break the single-season rushing mark. Every 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history had several games around and above 200 yards in his career-best season, making up for his few inevitable down games. Murray has topped 150 yards only three times in his career. As his body becomes more beaten down, the likelihood of big games will decrease. I expect his numbers to taper off as the season wears on. Murray is still by far the best bet to win the rushing title, but Eric Dickerson's record is safe.
Arun Srinivasan: Dickerson's 2,105-yard season in 1984 has long appeared to be one of the unassailable records in football. Murray has a legitimate shot of breaking it; whether he will or not is an entirely different question in itself. Extrapolating his yards per game through 16 games, Murray would fall just short at 2,087. The Cowboys have four of its remaining nine games against top-10 run defenses ranked by rushing yards per game. Murray has a legitimate shot, but it'll be surprising if he actually breaks Dickerson's record.
Dan Wilkins: As with any single-season record, staying healthy throughout will be key. Though, Murray is definitely in position to challenge the mark. The Cowboys' offensive line has been dominant up to this point in the season and, playing in the NFC East, they'll face a number of opponents that struggle to stop the run. While there will be questions about Murray keeping his current work load, I don't see the Cowboys making a change any time soon. A perennial 8-8 team has suddenly become a Super Bowl contender as a direct result of this ground-game success, and they'll continue to give Murray the ball at the same rate over the course of this season as long as he can stay healthy.
Will the Arizona Cardinals actually win the NFC West?
Srinivasan: It appears that the Cardinals will win the NFC West. As the lone team to beat the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field last season, the Cardinals should be confident squaring off against the defending champions twice. Winning NFC West matchups will likely decide the division and having a 1.5 game lead over the San Francisco 49ers is a massive advantage. Aided by a surprisingly good passing game, and the all-around contributions of Andre Ellington, the Cardinals are likely heading into the playoffs as NFC West winners.
Wilkins: If Carson Palmer can stay healthy, yes. The Cardinals showed just how balanced they are throughout when they continued to win even without their veteran quarterback on the field for a few games this season. Most impressive has been the defense's ability to fight through a number of key injuries and continue to perform at the level they have, ranking as the league's No. 1 unit against the run through seven weeks. That matches them up well for the many NFC West games they'll play down the stretch and, as they proved late last season, they are capable of winning on the road in Seattle. The race for the division title is far from over, but the Cardinals' play thus far should certainly make them the favorites.
Woods: I doubt it. Defensive injuries will eventually catch up with this team, dropping them back to the pack. Meanwhile, the 49ers will be aided by the return of their two best defensive players, NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith, to the lineup, and the Seahawks' recent troubles may be the wake-up call that sets the reigning champions off on a long winning streak. I expect the NFC West to finish roughly as we expected it to, with the 49ers and Seahawks heading to the playoffs and the Cardinals on the outside looking in.
Can Peyton Manning hit 600 touchdown passes before he retires?
Wilkins: That all depends on how many more seasons he plays. Manning's current pace would have him hit 600 sometime in 2016, and whether or not he gets to that point likely depends on what kind of success the Denver Broncos can have both this season and next. Working under the assumption that he does play that long, however, there is no reason to believe that Manning's production won't remain consistent enough to get him to that mark. The decline of veteran players is most often for physical reasons, but Manning's dominance has always come as a result of his ability to be a step ahead of his opponent mentally. Despite the fact that he'll turn 39 this spring, Manning has shown no signs of slowing down. He's notched two of the best seasons of his career since joining the Broncos, and thus actually making 600 a somewhat realistic number.
Woods: That's 87 more touchdowns, which almost certainly isn't achievable unless Manning plays two seasons beyond this one. His contract runs through 2016. Barring a Super Bowl win this year or next, which could prompt Manning to retire on top, I think we'll see him attempt to play out his deal. Manning's playing the best football of his career right now (which is hard to believe considering how much arm strength he's lost, but it's the truth), so I see no reason he can't top 600 touchdowns.
Srinivasan: It's unlikely that Manning reaches 600 touchdowns before he retires, only because I'm speculating that his retirement could be imminent. The Broncos are clearly the best team in the NFL right now and if they win a Super Bowl in the next two years, there's little incentive for Manning to return. Seventeen seasons in, Manning will likely have around 535 touchdowns by season's end. This means that he would need another two healthy seasons at 37 touchdowns a piece. It's not wise to bet against Manning, but math and time both indicate that he will fall short of 600.