Dallas Cowboys need to find a solution in the running game

The Dallas Cowboys’ 13-3 season seems like a lifetime ago as they are now 5-6 and in danger of missing the playoffs. They need a run game solution…

Prior to the 2017 season, I wrote about six reasons why the Dallas Cowboys would fail to meet lofty expectations in 2017.

I hate to say I told you so, but…

The Dallas Cowboys have really failed to live up to lofty expectations this season, in particular because the absence of Ezekiel Elliott (even a time or two when he was on the field, see: Denver game) has been much more impactful than even I would have imagined.

A year after both Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott were considered MVP candidates, it seems like really only one of those guys was truly deserving, as the Cowboys are 5-6 and a major reason why is because of the lack of Elliott in the offense.

The Cowboys have lost three straight games without Elliott, and face a second consecutive Thursday game, this one against the (also 5-6) Washington Redskins.

We talked in that pre-season article how critical this specific stretch of games would be, and right now, the Cowboys can barely score a touchdown. Over this three game stretch with no Ezekiel Elliott, they have scored seven, nine, and six points, an average of seven points per game.

That’s simply not going to get it done in the NFL, especially when you’re fighting for a playoff spot.

Right now, the Cowboys just need to figure out one thing, and that’s how to get their running game going again.

Of course, the Cowboys have plenty of issues right now, but look at some of the numbers from games without Elliott:

@ Atlanta: Alfred Morris, 53 yards rushing (led team)
vs. Philadelphia: Morris, 91 yards (led team)
vs. Los Angeles: Rod Smith, 41 yards (led team)

Prior to this particular three game stretch, the Cowboys were on a three-game winning streak where Elliott was running wild over opposing teams, to the tune of 150, 147, and 93 yards. You can look at the level of competition and make whatever arguments you want, but the simple fact is the Cowboys haven’t been able to compensate for the loss of Zeke, and it’s killing their season.

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Dak Prescott is not without fault here, either. Prescott has been turning the ball over at an alarming rate given he had just four interceptions a year ago. He has nine this season, and five in the past two games.

The Cowboys can’t effectively use the running game to win games if their quarterback is giving the ball away.

In addition to the lack of Elliott, the Cowboys are also sorely missing the presence of guard Ron Leary and tackle Doug Free. This offense is just so much different without those two guys up front.

While the offensive line has been a major area of strength for this team, the four lowest graded overall offensive players this year are all offensive linemen (Chaz Green, La’El Collins, Byron Bell, and Jonathan Cooper).

The Cowboys can still turn things around, starting with a big divisional game against the Redskins, but it’s going to take some drastic changes and improvements offensively.

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