While the focus in Dallas this week has been whether or not starting quarterback Dak Prescott will make his return, the real answer to getting back in the win column this coming Sunday against the Lions may rest on the shoulders- or more accurately, the legs- of the tandem threat lined up behind him.
The Cowboys’ run game has been effective so far this season, to the tune of 118.8 yards per outing. Ezekiel Elliott’s 386 rushing yards places him 15th in the league overall, while Tony Pollard is averaging 5.3 yards per attempt, 12th-best among all players with double-digits carries.
“Zeke’s done a really nice job,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said in a Tuesday press conference. “Him and Tony kind of doing it together, those guys are big parts of this. We love getting those guys touches, and certainly the run game has been a real positive thing for us the last few weeks.”
While the heavy ground commitment has been partly a way to simplify things for backup passer Cooper Rush over the past five games, it’s also been one of the Cowboys’ strengths on that side of the ball.
And now, getting Prescott back after September surgery on his throwing thumb and almost six weeks of rehab may not alter the offensive game plan much.
“Nothing will change,” head coach Mike McCarty told reporters on Monday. “The only thing that will change is how we view the defense we’re getting ready to play and how we want to attack them.”
With the Lions set to visit, Elliott and Pollard may want to do a little extra stretching. Detroit ranks dead last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, averaging 167.6 over their five games played.
Elliott and Pollard will look to build off their strong performances last week against a fierce Eagles defense. While their stats weren’t necessarily eye-popping- 81 yards for Elliott and 44 for Pollard- the two nearly matched Philadelphia’s team rushing total… but did it on 15 fewer carries. More important, the duo kept Dallas in the game on a night when Rush struggled.
“There were a few runs where I’m like, ‘Oh, we got stuffed,’ and the next thing you know, they push the pile and it’s a four-yard gain,” Rush said after the 26-17 loss, “Kind of showing who we are there.”
It’s who the Cowboys say they’ll try to stay even after Prescott reclaims his starting spot. Dallas may choose to lean on their two-pronged rushing attack again versus Detroit just to allow Prescott time to shake off the rust. But the veteran’s mere presence under center will no doubt give the Lions an extra threat to honor. And if that’s enough to help pave the way for even more rushing yards, so much the better.
“We’re ready to get 4 back,” Elliott confirmed. “As long as he’s healthy and ready to go, it’ll be good to get him back.”
Indeed. Even if Prescott’s primary job this Sunday afternoon is turning and handing the ball to the crash-and-slash combo behind him.
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