ARLINGTON, Texas -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the Dallas Cowboys' 31-21 win against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium.
Better and better: Count owner and general manager Jerry Jones among the skeptics at the start of the season. With the Cowboys now holding a 6-1 record, count Jones among the believers.
"I think our record is above what we could have expected," Jones said. "But we have it and it's a credit to a team that is building in their confidence."
Special reward: Tight ends coach Mike Pope is the only coach to be part of the New York Giants' four Super Bowl wins. He was with the Giants during Bill Parcells' run to two titles and spent 2000-13 on the Giants' staff until he was relieved of his duties last offseason. With Gavin Escobar catching a career-high two touchdown passes and Jason Witten catching two passes for 27 yards, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett rewarded Pope with a game ball in the locker room.
"He spent a lot of time in New York," Witten said. "To be able to come to the other side and get that win, I think it means a lot to him. You try to say it's never personal, but I think for him to come on the other side and have success and win that game, I'm sure it meant a lot to him."
Murray keeps rolling: DeMarco Murray set a record with his seventh straight 100-yard game to open the season, and he is closing in on his career high in rushing yards with the midway point coming next week. Murray ran for 1,121 yards in 2013 and was added to the Pro Bowl. In seven games, Murray has 913 yards, which is the best seven-game start in team history and the sixth-best start in NFL history. Emmitt Smith had 812 yards in 1995 on his way to a 1,773-yard season, which led the NFL.
"We're going to hand him the ball," Garrett said of Murray. "We believe in that and he's certainly capable of handling that."
Murray is on pace for 427 carries, which would be a single-season record.
