Some good news came out of Dallas Friday morning, and it may make fans happy. Well, also mad — since some don’t like this player.
After a one-game absence, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that he expects running back Ezekiel Elliott to return from his knee injury that he suffered versus the Detroit Lions and play against the Green Bay Packers in week 10.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to @1053thefan on Ezekiel Elliott’s ability to play next Sunday at Packers following bye: “Yes, I expect Zeke back against Green Bay.” Elliott missed one game with knee hyperextension injury.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 4, 2022
His return will be big-time as the Cowboys’ offense continues to gel with quarterback Dak Prescott at the helm, and an efficient-run game will help him and the unit rank among the best offenses in the league.
While we did see RB Tony Pollard explode last week against the Chicago Bears, which caused many fans and media members to call for him to start over Elliott, having both of them at your disposal is important.
And, before fans think I’m an Elliott homer, listen to what Cowboys RB coach Skip Peete said about both backs because it saves me time explaining why both are crucial for the team, and I agree with Peete’s thoughts.
Cowboys RB coach Skip Peete discussed Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott’s usage and the philosophy behind it with @calvinwatkins. Listen to full SportsDay Cowboys episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or here: https://t.co/gWYTF4G7hZ pic.twitter.com/Yiahyf4Kmy
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 3, 2022
Plus, everyone knows about the wear and tear at the running back position. So, the Cowboys are lucky to have two talented guys in their backfield.
Also, I think the only people who are mad about Elliott getting more touches are the ones who have Pollard in their fantasy lineups. I’m just kidding.
Shifting to the game, if you look at Elliott’s numbers versus the Packers all-time, you will likely get excited. According to Statsmuse, Elliott averaged 111.7 rushing yards in the three games versus the green and yellow.
Add that the Packers rank near the bottom of the league in run defense this season — we could see another explosive game from Elliott — but also from Pollard.
I’m not here to tell you what the right amount of touches should be between the two because this isn’t Madden, and I’m not a running backs coach. Nonetheless, it’s a great sign that Elliott is coming back as the Cowboys gear up for the second part of the season.
He and Pollard are key guys in this offense, and the Boys need all hands on deck if they want to make a deep run in the postseason.
