DeMarco Murray's 3-4 success in focus

Monday's game against the Washington Redskins will be the fifth time the Dallas Cowboys have seen a 3-4 defense.

While DeMarco Murray has run well regardless of the defensive front he has seen this season, he has had incredible success against 3-4 schemes.

Against the San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans, Murray has 106 carries for 570 yards.

"There are some similarities but the players are different, the scheme is always different," Murray said. "We've had a lot of 3-4 teams this year so we're used to it. A lot of our previous games we've had some success against but it's definitely hard to go against. They have some great players on the other side. We'll have our hands full and we're excited about the challenge."

Not all 3-4 defenses are created equal. Coach Jason Garrett said the key is to trace the roots of Jim Haslett's defense. Like a lot of 3-4 schemes, it goes back to Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. So too does the 3-4 San Francisco used as well as the 3-4 the Titans used, but the Redskins defense is more like the Titans in how defenders move around.

"The way they play their techniques up front are similar to what we've seen at different points this year and certainly similar to what we've seen from them in the past," Garrett said. "They're not all the same. I think you have to understand what the nuances are and attack it with that knowledge."

Past success can often predict future success, but center Travis Frederick does not look at it that way.

"It gives us something to look back at and get better and improve upon, but you're starting from zero every game," Frederick said. "Every game is different and every team is different."