JJT: Flawed Cowboys' plan has Ezekiel Elliott on bench at end of Giants' loss

Cotton

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Flawed Cowboys' plan has Ezekiel Elliott on bench at end of Giants' loss
10:00 AM CT
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer

FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have had a season-long plan to keep rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott fresh for the playoffs.

It makes sense because he's a rookie running back who leads the NFL with 287 carries - 37 more than Tennessee’s DeMarco Murray - and is entering the portion of the season where the rigors of his first NFL season could start taking a toll on his body. Plus, they don't want him to carry the ball so much it affects him negatively next season.

It's the reason Alfred Morris has usually played the third series of every half, and why Lance Dunbar has handled third downs and the two-minute drill offense since returning from a torn ACL and patellar tendon he suffered in the fourth game of last season.

Still, it made zero sense to have Elliott on the bench for the final two drives of the Cowboys' 10-7 loss to the New York Giants just because the Cowboys were in their two-minute offense.

Elliott is among the NFL's best running backs, a player who can do everything Dunbar can do at a much higher level. That’s not a knock on Dunbar, it’s the reality of Elliott’s talent.

Elliott is the better runner, the better receiver and a much better pass blocker. If we were talking about the Dunbar from 2014 or last year before he tore his knee injury, keeping Dunbar in the game would’ve made sense.

In 2014, Dunbar averaged 12.1 yards on 18 receptions and regularly made big plays in the passing game. In four games last season, he carried five times for 67 yards and caught 21 passes for 215 yards. He was the epitome of a playmaker.

This season, we haven’t seen the same speed, acceleration or change of direction we saw before his injury. None of that is unusual. Most players don't regain their form until the second season after a knee injury. At the end of this season, Dunbar will spend the offseason improving his strength and speed instead of rehabbing his injury and that will give him a chance to return to his previous form.

Dunbar has 94 yards on 17 touches -- six runs and 11 receptions -- this season. His longest play is 16 yards.

There's nothing wrong with Dunbar having his current role, but at the end of a winnable game that would've given the Cowboys the NFC East title and moved them a step closer to homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, Elliott should've been on the field.

Elliott is the player averaging 11.5 yards on 28 catches. He's the player with nine receptions of 15 yards or more this season. He's the dude who took a screen pass 83 yards for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At 6-0 and 225 pounds, he's big enough to run through arm tackles and fast enough to run away from linebackers. He's a guy who can take a short pass and turn it into a long touchdown. He has 14 plays of 20 yards or more this season. No one else on the roster has more than eight.

At winning time, you want your best players on the field. Then again, we all know common sense ain't common. This is one of those times.

Elliott, to his credit, is saying all of the right things about the situation.

"I control what I can control. I worry about what I can worry about," Elliott said. "Lance is the third-down back. He does come in. It's been that way all season. So it wasn't really a problem when we were winning, so I don't see why it's a problem now."

The Cowboys bristle when the topic is broached. Early in the season, they say, we were criticized for overworking Elliott. Now, we’re being criticized for not giving him enough work.

Actually, the criticism is for not putting the best possible team on the field with a chance to win a game. Their plan is fine, but Garrett and his coaching staff can’t be so tied to their plan they're blind to its flaw.

Losing a game while your best player stands on the sideline is never a good idea.
 

townsend

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McFadden was a relatively decent starting RB. I really question why you don't let a guy who was a top rusher in 2015 (and Morris wasn't last year) on the active roster.
 

Cotton

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McFadden was a relatively decent starting RB. I really question why you don't let a guy who was a top rusher in 2015 (and Morris wasn't last year) on the active roster.
Mabe I'm reading what you're saying wrong, but they did activate McFadden to the roster.
 

townsend

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Mabe I'm reading what you're saying wrong, but they did activate McFadden to the roster.
Yeah, I guess I should have said "on the field". But other than administratively he might as well have not been on the team this year.
 

Genghis Khan

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The idea of adding McFadden at this point in the season is intriguing. If we can run some packages to get him in open space he can be pretty dangerous. And he's hungry and has fresh legs. It's another weapon that we force defenses to worry about.
 

Simpleton

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If we really want to rest Elliott then play him with no restrictions over these next two games at home, treat them as playoff games, win them, clinch HFA, give him the Eagles game off and then obviously play him with no restrictions in the playoffs.

He has 287 carries so far, if we give him about 45-50 carries over these next two and then give him the Eagles game off he will get out of the regular season with under 340 carries.
 

fortsbest

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I just don't get the infatuation with Dunbar when it's clear there is much better talent at teh position on the team. It's nuts/
 
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