With the run game struggling, Dallas looked to promote veteran free agent and practice squad member Dalvin Cook last week. A four-time Pro Bowler, Cook was signed at the end of the offseason and naturally had a ramp-up period to get in shape. During that time, concrete evidence was formed that the Cowboys running game was a disaster, worse than the year prior thanks to obvious blocking issues and questions about the quality of the backs who were on the roster.
Cook’s elevation brought the question of who would sit in Week 8, fellow veteran Ezekiel Elliott or youngster Deuce Vaughn. The answer turned out to be starter Rico Dowdle, who it was reported got sick the day of the game but was spotted in good spirits, signing autographs and generally acting like a not-sick person would. That created a storm of conspiracy theory talk, and instead of moving on, Dallas has chosen to ramp things up a notch by leaving Ezekiel Elliott home for the Week 9 trip to Atlanta.
On Saturday the club informed Elliott he was going to be made inactive for the game against the Falcons. Apparently that led to an elevated disagreement between he and the coaching staff to the point the club disciplined him by not allowing him to travel with the team.
Fans should remember, Elliott was brought back to the club after a year in New England under the umbrella of being great for team chemistry.
The Dallas Cowboys may not be a rudderless ship, but they certainly seems to be having trouble negotiating the rough waters of the 2024 season. What metaphor or analogy fits the circumstances best is still to be decided, but things certainly haven’t been handled with the calm and smooth manner one would associate with an organized organization. The running back situation of the last two weeks certainly supports the negative associations.