For seven years Ezekiel Elliott was the go-to man in the backfield for the Dallas Cowboys, rewarding them by averaging 1,180 yards and 9.7 TDs on the ground per season.
In his second stint with the team, the touches have looked quite different, as the veteran running back has seen his numbers diminish in 2024 due to both a different carry distribution and an overall struggle with the offense's run game.
Elliott spoke on the difference from the locker room Thursday, saying that while he and the coaches have discussed his desire to be more involved in the run game, he remains focused on doing what he can to help the team, even an unfamiliar role.
Though Elliott's words were neutral, some read more into him noting his lack of usage. This resulted in owner Jerry Jones being asked about Elliott's comments Friday during his appearance on 105.3 The Fan, specifically the claim some have made that the running back was "dumbfounded" by his usage.
"That's an exaggeration," Jones said. "Dumbfounded is an exaggeration, a mischaracterization. It's a bad description of how he feels about things. He's very much aware of the part of the running game that he's involved with. But more importantly -- and I can't emphasize this enough -- we're saving him, and we should be. We want him for, Rico [Dowdle] is an outstanding running back, ... his big problem has been what? He's had trouble with injuries throughout his career. So it'd be madness to just rely on him for the duration of the season and into the playoffs.
"Zeke is there, he will be there, because we want to protect him during this particular time, as much as anything."
So far this season Elliott has had 30 carries for 98 yards and a Week 1 touchdown, averaging just six totes and 19.6 yards per game. Meanwhile, Dowdle, who spent time as Elliott's backup in Dallas from 2020 to 2022, has been given the higher number of snaps, accumulating 54 rushes for 221 yards so far, more than double Elliott's yards per game. Though he does have a history of injuries, as Jones mentioned, thus far he's avoided any missed games.
With former Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook also waiting in the wings from the practice squad, there's certainly talent aplenty in Dallas, but only a limited number of carries available to divvy up.
While Jones said there's not a "bright line" regarding decisions over how much each player gets the ball, he did note that the unit has struggled as a group, with the Cowboys ranking 31st in the league in rushing yards per game, averaging just 82 yards per contest with a team average of 3.5 yards per carry. Whether that could lead to different tote distributions or merely indicates a need to improve overall, Jones is aware that for his team to achieve the kind of success down the stretch and into the playoffs that they desire, the need for a strong run game cannot be ignored.
"When we have an effective running game, you're going to see an offense that's probably the talk of the NFL," Jones said. "Because that is the barometer, you've got to run the ball. That's as common as you've got to turn the lights on if you're playing a night game. You've got to run the ball, you've got to be effective in the running game.
"When we start being effective in the running game and complement the passing, it'll let us have the ball more on the offensive side of the ball, and we'll be able to keep the defense off the field, which is always a winning formula."
The road ahead won't get easier, however, as the Cowboys' Week 6 opponent, the Detroit Lions, has been one of the best at defending against the run, ranking No. 4 in the league by allowing just 90.8 yards per game.
The Cowboys and Lions kick off in Dallas at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
