No position has created more controversy this season for the Dallas Cowboys than running back. That remained the case before kickoff against the San Francisco 49ers as starter Rico Dowdle was ruled out with an apparent illness that befell him upon arriving at Levi's Stadium.
Dowdle's surprise absence thrust Ezekiel Elliott into a starting role. In a timeshare with the newly-active Dalvin Cook, Elliott made his first start Sunday night since the season-opener.
While Cowboys fans tempered expectations for the NFL's worst rushing attack, they have actually found reasonable success on the ground against a normally-stingy 49ers defense.
Elliott has played a big part in that and he punctuated the offense's best drive in weeks with a touchdown to put Dallas in front 7-3 in the second quarter.
Cowboys' RB Ezekiel Elliott is silencing his haters against the 49ers
Zeke wants to eat. He has reservations for 6️⃣
— NFL (@NFL) October 28, 2024
📺: #DALvsSF on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/SvyDUyz3MT
That is vintage Zeke.
If you remember, Elliott expressed frustration with his role within the offense after the Cowboys' defeated the Steelers in Week 5. Elliott was apparently "dumbfounded" by his lack of opportunities in the red zone, per team reporter Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS Sports.
Elliott's complaint, for lack of a better term, came after Rico Dowdle fumbled while trying to hurdle into the end zone vs. Pittsburgh with seconds left in regulation. If not for Dak Prescott diving on the football, the Cowboys would have lost the game.
While Elliott's words came off as selfish, it turns out they had some truth to them. The two-time rushing champion has long been one of the best goal line running backs in the NFL. He has an unteachable nose for the end zone and that proved true on his second quarter touchdown.
It is no secret that Dowdle is the best RB on the roster. Elliott has taken a distant backseat to the former undrafted free agent, but he has proven on multiple occasions this season that he can still be effective in a timeshare. It just so happens that he is exceeding expectations vs. the 49ers in a lead role.
There's still a lot of game left, but Elliott was a catalyst on Dallas' TD drive and that is currently the difference in the game. He has six carries for 49 yards (and counting). It's already the most yards he's had in a game this season and his 4.8 yards per carry is by far his best output.
Maybe Elliott was onto something about wanting a bigger role.