NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- DeMarco Murray never lost confidence in himself or how well he can play in the NFL.Now hes proving just how much being in the right place can matter so much.Halfway through this season, Murray already has run for more yards than all of last season in Philadelphia.Better yet, he leads the AFC and is second in the NFL with 756 yards rushing. Production that simply reinforces the decision he made in March with the chance to be traded by the Eagles to Tennessee in March.I think anywhere else it wouldve been a mistake, Murray said Thursday.I think this is a place thats meant for me, and Im meant for it. This is a great coaching staff. Obviously, a lot of great teammates, the organization is where it needs to be. But I think its only going to get better. Its very positive that were heading in the right direction.Murray is just the sixth running back in NFL history to run for at least 750 yards and have eight total touchdowns in his first eight games with a team.The only difference? Murray is 28 with his third team, while the others all were rookies: Doug Martin in 2012, Adrian Peterson in Minnesota in 2007, Eric Dickerson with the 1983 Rams, Billy Sims with the 1980 Lions and Chicagos Beattie Feathers in 1934.Murray also ranks second in the league with 953 yards from scrimmage and is tied for fourth with his eight TDs.The performance isnt surprising for a running back who led the NFL in rushing with 1,845 yards in 2014 in Dallas, earning the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.He signed a five-year, $42 million contract in Philadelphia, yet Murray only had one 100-yard game with the Eagles while running for 702 yards and averaging a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry.Whenever you get the opportunities, youve got to make the most of them, Murray said. Sometimes I didnt do that last year, and that has a lot to do with me. But just got to learn from every situation and go from there.The change in scenery certainly didnt hurt.The running back made sure to research the Titans and new head coach Mike Mularkey before agreeing to the trade. He liked the Titans plan to run the ball.Murray has almost as many carries (160) through eight games in Tennessee as he had all of last season in 15 games with Philadelphia (193). He already has four 100-yard rushing games and is coming off his best performance yet, running 21 times for 123 yards in a 36-22 win over Jacksonville last week.Mularkey said the Titans promised that Murray would be their featured back, and the first half of this season has proven everything they told him has come true.Thats helping the Titans (4-4) improve their win total from last season with eight games left to do even better.Were just trying to play to their strengths, and his is downhill, Mularkey said. I didnt think hed lose that in a year.Thanks to Murrays success, Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry hasnt been needed much at all. The Titans did give Henry 16 carries for 60 yards -- both season highs -- in the win over Jacksonville. He also caught four passes for 37 yards.The combination has Tennessee ranked third in the NFL in averaging 152.2 yards per game.They run the ball the way its supposed to be run, said Chargers coach Mike McCoy who gets to defend Murray on Sunday.Murray says he isnt paying attention to where hes ranked in the NFL, much more focused on helping Tennessee reach the playoffs. Thats something the Titans havent done since 2008, but they trail Houston by a game in the AFC South.Playoffs is much more important for me than rushing yards, Murray said.Game notesMurray (toe) practiced fully Thursday and said he feels fine. TE Delanie Walker (groin) was added to the injury report Thursday and was limited along with S Rashad Johnson (neck) and LB Aaron Wallace (shoulder). LG Quinton Spain (right knee) did not practice.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalkerChance Adams Yankees Jersey . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Bernie Williams Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. https://www.cheapyankees.com/1391g-mark-teixeira-jersey-yankees.html .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Jordan Montgomery Yankees Jersey . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Gary Sanchez Jersey . JOHNS, N.Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Sunday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- NEW YORK -- Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal return to Grand Slam play and test their injured left wrists on Day 1 at the U.S. Open. Play starts 11 a.m.; night session 7 p.m.- BALTIMORE -- Josh Donaldson and the first-place Blue Jays enter a pivotal series at Baltimore, which trails Toronto by three games in the AL East. Donaldson is coming off a three-homer game against Minnesota. Game starts 7:05 p.m.- BOSTON -- Rick Porcello (17-3, 3.23 ERA) tries to become the first 18-game winner in the majors when the Red Sox face the Rays. Boston will be without second baseman Dustin Pedroia because of a family death. Game starts 7:10 p.m.- NFL preseason package: Division previews of AFC West, AFC North and AFC East.- ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Trevor Siemian is Peyton Mannings successor. Coach Gary Kubiak tells the team that Siemian will be the starting quarterback when the Denver Broncos open Sept. 8 against Carolina.- TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- For the third straiight season, No.dddddddddddd 1 Alabama enters the opening game week with its situation at quarterback unclear. So far, it really hasnt mattered.- NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma had the best defense in the Big 12 last season, and most of those players are back. The No. 3 Sooners will be tested by No. 15 Houston and quarterback Greg Ward Jr. in their opener Saturday.- BATON ROUGE, La. -- All eyes are on star running back Leonard Fournette. Yet No. 5 LSU enters its opener knowing the dangers of relying too much on a workhorse player. Such a role carries risks in the punishing SEC.- NEW YORK -- Now comes the hard part for Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III, who fills out the final four members of his U.S. team with wild-card selections over the next three weeks.- CHICAGO -- Continuing to play with a concussion doubles recovery time for teenage athletes and leads to worse short-term mental function than in those who immediately stop playing, a study finds. ' ' '