ARLINGTON, Texas – If you were to pick one moment when the Dallas Cowboys' running back picture seemed to crystalize, it was this: Darren McFadden going around left end early in the second quarter, giving Minnesota Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo a little bit of the pepper shaker with some left-and-right shoulder wiggle, and then whooshing by in another gear.

That looked like the guy the Cowboys were hoping would show up in camp this offseason. Give that guy some holes, pray that his health holds up, and enjoy the ride, however long it lasts.

"What you saw was vintage McFadden," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would say later that night. "You saw that acceleration."

But did we see the team's No. 1 running back?

View photos Darren McFadden (Getty Images) More

Jones isn't going to commit. Clarity isn't coming until Week 1. Go ahead and ask Jones. Then step back and watch him vaporize into the smog that has cloaked Dallas' backfield. He'll compliment McFadden, then Joseph Randle and then Lance Dunbar. He'll talk about how, well, each has some skills and will do some stuff within the offense and whatnot. If you're thirsting for more than that before the Sept. 13 opener against the New York Giants, make sure you have your eye-rolls pre-loaded. Because you're going to be frustrated. And if you're seeking knowledge for your fantasy football draft, well, peace be with you.

"I see how we could line up against the Giants," Jones said. "Yes, I do. Now, you say, 'Well, does that mean you couldn't see it before?' No, I saw some of the same things. I expect [Randle] … has the talent to make some of the plays we saw him make [Saturday night]. I certainly know that [McFadden] can make them and Dunbar can do the same. If they're healthy, I'll take the skill and what they can bring to our offense. I'll take that and go against the Giants and won't ask for any more."

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Dallas isn't relenting on this. It's not a bluff. As it stands right now, this will be a committee in the purest NFL form. The Cowboys are adamant that their elite offensive line can be the glue that elevates a collection of parts into a greater whole. If you're a child of the 1980s, it's out of the Voltron playbook. If you're not, use the Internet and figure it out.

Ultimately, what we saw Saturday night against the Vikings is likely a facsimile of what to expect this season. Randle came in and ended up playing the role of the guinea pig, with the Cowboys probing some inside runs for signs of weakness, then ending up sputtering with some third-and-long situations that weren't conducive to running. Dunbar got one carry that went one yard. And then once Dallas identified some soft spots, McFadden came in and cleaned up with 37 yards on four carries.

Had this been a regular-season game, it's highly likely that Dallas would have ridden McFadden's hot hand as the lead, while mixing in Randle in both the run and pass, and then getting some situational opportunities to Dunbar. It wouldn't have played out that way because Randle is the No. 2 – it would have played out that way because he did the grunt work early and set the stage for McFadden. That's how committees like this work.

View photos Joseph Randle ran for 343 yards on 51 carries last season for the Cowboys. (Getty Images) More

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