It took one game for Dalvin Cook to prove what Cowboys fans knew all along

Already down several starters on defense, the Dallas Cowboys were hit with more adversity an hour before kickoff against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night after running back Rico Dowdle was ruled out with an illness.

Dowdle came down with an illness after arriving at Levi's Stadium. A large contingent of Cowboys fans think Dowdle's illness was a ploy to prevent the team from deactivating Ezekiel Elliott.

With Dalvin Cook elevated from the practice squad for the first time all season, it felt inevitable that Elliott would be a healthy scratch. Alas, Elliott got the start and while he ran well in the first half, it was another ineffective game on the ground for the two-time rushing champ.

While Elliott rushed for less than 40 yards on 3.6 yards per carry, he had a better game than Cook, whom many hoped would inject a spark into Dallas' rushing attack.

Dalvin Cook is not the answer at RB the Cowboys were looking for

Cook only saw six carries in the game and finished with 12 rushing yards. While game script factored into his limited role (the Cowboys trailed for most of the second half), nobody should be surprised by Cook's minimal impact.

While Cook's "decline" happened more recent than Elliott's, they are essentially the same player at this stage of their careers.

In Cook's last full season in 2022, his 72.1 rushing grade ranked 33rd out of 41 qualified running backs, per Pro Football Focus. Despite rushing for 1,159 yards, Cook finished with -21 rushing yards over expected, per Next Gen Stats. That placed 36th at the position. Elliott had -77 rushing yards over expected that season.

It's no surprise that Cook struggled to find work in 2023. He eventually signed with the Jets, but he was once again among the league's worst RBs in terms of efficiency.

By the time New York released Cook in January, he ranked last among 72 (!) eligible ball-carriers in expected points added per rush. He also ranked 71st in yards created per rush and first down percentage, as well as 68th in explosive rush rate and success rate.

Cook was once upon a time a true difference-maker at the position, but he's been on a downward trajectory since 2022. There's a reason he was still available when Dallas signed him to the practice squad in late-August.

While we understand why Cowboys fans wanted Cook to get a shot to spark the running game, that was never going to happen. That Elliott was more effective kind of says it all.

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