The Cowboys have a big decision to make in their backfield.
They’ll head into Week 17’s showdown with Detroit without running back Rico Dowdle, who on Friday was declared out due to an ankle injury. Dowdle has been the clear-cut No. 2 back all season long, having recorded between two and 12 carries in every game thus far and giving first-year starter Tony Pollard the occasional breather.
Who will now step into that backup role this Saturday is unclear.
Malik Davis is on the practice squad, but the club has already used all three of his game-day elevations. In order for Davis to play this weekend, the Cowboys would have to remove someone else from the 53-man roster to open a spot for him. Davis has yet to touch the ball this season.
Fullback Hunter Luepke is already active. The undrafted rookie has been used sparingly this season but was a key piece of Dallas’s opening drive against Miami, getting four touches in the team’s first 15 plays. But the last one was a costly goal-line fumble, recovered by the Dolphins and immediately changing the complexion of a game the Cowboys went on to lose by two points. Luepke has a total of 19 yards on six rushes; he scored a touchdown in Week 4.
And then there’s Deuce Vaughn. The darling of draft weekend and impressive during training camp, the diminutive Vaughn failed to find any success once regular-season action got underway. He tallied just 38 yards on 21 attempts and added another 30 yards on six receptions over six official appearances, but he’s not been active for a game since Week 10.
Tyron Smith listed as questionable for Saturday's game vs. Detroit, which means he is trending toward playing despite back injury. Johnathan Hankins (ankle), Rico Dowdle (ankle) have been ruled out. Could be time to see Deuce Vaughn unless team decides to add Malik Davis to 53.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) December 28, 2023
One of those men will have to serve as the backup to Pollard against a Lions defensive front that is allowing an average of just 90.6 total rushing yards per game to opponents, the fourth-best mark in the league.
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Dowdle has been dealing with the ankle issue for several weeks. He was limited in practice Tuesday but did not participate at all on Wednesday or Thursday.
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