“That's an overstatement,” Jones said. “Perplexed is an overstatement, a misrepresentation. It's a poor portrayal of how he feels about issues. He's very a lot cognizant of the facet of the dashing sport that he is engaged in. But extra importantly — and I can not stress this sufficient — we're safeguarding him, and we must be. We need him for, Rico [Dowdle] is an distinctive working again, … his main problem has been what? He's had issue with accidents all through his profession. So it would be madness to solely rely upon him for your complete season and into the playoffs.
“Zeke is present, he will be present, because we want to shield him during this specific time, more than anything.”
Up to now this season Elliott has had 30 rushes for 98 yards and a Week 1 landing, averaging solely six carries and 19.6 yards per sport. Meanwhile, Dowdle, who served as Elliott's backup in Dallas from 2020 to 2022, has been given the bigger variety of snaps, amassing 54 makes an attempt for 221 yards to date, greater than double Elliott's yards per sport. Even although he does have a historical past of accidents, as Jones identified, thus far he has steered away from any missed video games.
With former Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook additionally biding his time on the observe squad, there's undoubtedly an abundance of expertise in Dallas, however solely a restricted variety of carries accessible to distribute.
While Jones declared there is not any “clear-cut” relating to selections on how a lot every participant will get the ball, he did point out that the group has encountered difficulties, with the Cowboys rating thirty first within the league in dashing yards per sport, averaging merely 82 yards per contest with a staff common of three.5 yards per carry. Whether this might lead to altered distribution of carries or just signifies a necessity to boost general, Jones is conscious that for his staff to realize the kind of success down the stretch and into the playoffs that they search, the need for a potent run sport can't be disregarded.
“When we have an efficient running game, you're going to see an offense that's perhaps the conversation of the NFL,” Jones remarked. “Because that's the gauge, you have to run the ball. That's as customary as you have to flip the lights on in case you're enjoying an evening sport. You've acquired to run the ball, you have to be environment friendly within the working sport.
“When we commence being efficient in the running game and complement the passing, it'll enable us to possess the ball more on the offensive side of the ball, and we'll be able to keep the defense off the field, which is always a successful formula.”
The path forward will not grow to be simpler, nevertheless, because the Cowboys' Week 6 adversary, the Detroit Lions, has been one of many high at defending in opposition to the run, rating No. 4 within the league by allowing solely 90.8 yards per sport.
The Cowboys and Lions kick off in Dallas at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
