It’s been refreshing to go through a Dallas Cowboys season without controversy at the running back position. The 2024 campaign was a nightmare in that regard, as the team stubbornly stuck with Ezekiel Elliott for more than half the year before finally turning the backfield over to Rico Dowdle
Jaydon Blue entered the season with a lot of hype following training camp, but it was evident early on that he has a lot of maturing to do before he'll be trusted on Sundays.
Luckily, Javonte Williams has brought stability, power, and efficiency to the backfield. Entering Week 16, Williams ranks top six among running backs in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, yards after contact per carry, missed tackles forced, and first downs.
Malik Davis has stepped into the RB2 role with aplomb, but a forgotten name has entered the picture in the final three weeks. On Wednesday, the Cowboys opened Phil Mafah's 21-day practice window.
Cowboys open RB Phil Mafah's practice window from injured reserve
That's a name Cowboys fans haven't heard in a while.
A seventh-round pick out of Clemson, Mafah endeared himself to Cowboys fans during the preseason. He only carried 15 times for 59 yards (3.9 average) and a touchdown, but his ferocious running style and ability to fall forward through contact had folks pining for him to make the 53-man roster.
While Mafah didn't make the initial 53, the Cowboys seemingly bent the rules to avoid subjecting him to waivers. At that point, they would have been powerless. As such, they put him on injured reserve with a shoulder injury that he sustained in the preseason to keep him around during the roster crunch. For many teams, the IR doubles as a roster stash for players on the bubble.
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Mafah showed a lot of promise in limited action, averaging 2.67 yards after contact per carry while forcing three missed tackles and ripping off runs of at least eight yards in all three preseason games.
While Mafah runs hard, he doesn't offer much explosion or long speed. Furthermore, the coaching staff likely didn't trust his understanding of the playbook and ability to hold up in pass protection. As fulfilling as it would've been to see him get some burn early on, he was also behind Williams, Blue, and Miles Sanders in the pecking order at the time.
The Cowboys clearly like what Williams and Davis bring to the table, even if they don't offer much as far as explosive plays. It's doubtful that Mafah will see the field in the final three games unless Dallas is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Even then, it might be a long shot.
But one can dream.