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Dallas Cowboys running game will improve with time

By Steven Mullenax

GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 25: Running back Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys rushes the football to score an eight yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 25, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyboys defeated the Cardinals 28-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 25: Running back Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys rushes the football to score an eight yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 25, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyboys defeated the Cardinals 28-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Through the first three games of the regular season, the Dallas Cowboys have struggled to run the ball. But their head coach only thinks it’s a matter of time.

Last season, the Dallas Cowboys posted an impressive win/loss record of 13-3. They did so mainly running the ball, possessing both the NFL’s leading rusher in rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott and the league’s second best rushing offense racking up 2,396 yards in 2016.

But that was last year. This season has been a completely different story on the ground for America’s Team. Despite possessing a 2-1 record, the Cowboys have struggled to run the ball in their first three games.

Currently ranked a lowly 22nd in rushing offense, Dallas has only been only to rush for 268 yards on the ground so far this season. That average of 89.3 rushing yards per game is far from the 149.8 yards per game on the ground they posted just last year.

Against the New York Giants in Week One, the Cowboys rushed for 129 yards as a team. In Week Two, in a devastating loss to the Denver Broncos, Dallas struggled to gain just 40 rushing yards total. And in Monday night’s matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, the team rushed for 99 yards.

So what’s the major difference between this season and last year? The likely culprit is the fact the Cowboys have two new starters along their offensive line in left guard Chaz Green and right tackle La’el Collins. But according to the team’s head coach, it’s only a matter of time before Dallas’ running game gets…up and running at full strength again.

"“…the way you get better, particularly in the running game, is experience during the game,” Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett told ESPN.com. “That’s been the case for a long time. You like to think that you become a better running team as the year goes on because you get a chance to run these runs in real life against a real opponent. And hopefully you benefit from those experiences.”"

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For new offensive lineman like Chaz Green and La’el Collins, the solution to their improvement as players is on the job training. And according to Jason Garrett, the more game experience they get, the better the Dallas Cowboys rushing offense should be. And for a 2-1 team that has to run the ball successfully to win, that’s good news.

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