Dallas Cowboys
Changes needed at running back? Dallas Cowboys leaders say they don’t see it
Published: Sep. 18, 2024, 6:00 a.m.
Rico Dowdle
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle runs with the ball against the New Orleans Saints during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)AP
By Aaron Kasinitz | LoneStarLive.com
Dallas Cowboys running backs have produced at levels that sag below NFL averages through two games, but they earned votes of confidence from team leaders this week.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Tuesday during a radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan he didn’t see the need to acquire a new running back or immediately elevate veteran Dalvin Cook off the practice squad.
“I like where we are with our running backs,” Jones said. “We’ve got good depth there. We just didn’t get to run them enough Sunday.”
Jones’ words echoed the message coach Mike McCarthy expressed during his Monday news conference. Running backs Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn all carried the ball seven or fewer times in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Saints, as the Cowboys leaned on the passing game to try and erase a large deficit.
A week earlier, in a win over the Browns, Dallas’ struggles to convert third downs limited opportunities for the running backs.
Elliott, a 29-year-old veteran, has gained 56 yards on a team-high 16 carries this season, while Dowdle’s also gained 56 yards on 15 rushing attempts. Vaughn’s taken five carries for 15 yards.
“I think a better evaluation comes when we get the attempts up,” McCarthy said.
But even in the the small slice of action, the Cowboys’ ineffectiveness on the ground stands out.
Elliott (3.5), Dowdle (3.7) and Vaughn (3) all average fewer than 4 yards per carry, and the advance numbers aren’t kinder to the group. Elliott (-1.6) and Dowdle (-1.5) both rank near the bottom of the league in yards over expectation per rushing attempt, according to the NFL’s NextGen Stats.
In other words, the league’s data shows the Cowboys’ top two running backs regularly gain about a yard and a half fewer than an average ball-carrier would in the same situation. Vaughn’s five rushing attempts aren’t enough to qualify for the stat.
Regardless of the numbers, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Monday that coaches are able to evaluate running backs in practice and gain a clearer picture of the position group than looking at a small sample size of in-game carries. And, like his bosses, Schottenheimer offered optimism about what he’s seen.
“We feel like we’ve got a number of backs that do a lot of good things,” he said. “A lot of them are different. So, I think if we’re learning anything, it’s just trying to make sure we’re using the right guys on the right scene. But again, it’s honestly just been we haven’t gotten enough attempts.”
Cook’s presence on the practice squad has caused outsiders to wonder whether he’ll soon have a chance to bolster Dallas’ backfield. Like Elliott, Cook is a 29-year-old former Pro Bowl running back who saw production decline in recent years.
McCarthy has praised Cook’s fitness levels and practice performance since he joined the team in late August.
“He looks good,” McCarthy said Monday. “The big thing for a vet is just the terminology, frankly. The language adjustment. And I think he’s progressed very, very nicely since he’s been here. He’s as natural of an outside zone runner as I’ve competed against. But, yeah, he looks good. He’s getting there.”
Practice squad players can play in three games before they move to waivers or the 53-man roster. Still, Jones warned against expecting Cook to suit up for Sunday’s Week 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
“Across the board, Rico did real well, I thought, in the game the other day, and so I don’t necessarily see a change that would involve Cook this week,” Jones said.
When Dallas hosts Baltimore, it’ll face another former Pro Bowl ball-carrier who was on the free agent market this summer along with Elliott and Cook. The Cowboys signed the less expensive options, while the Ravens made a commitment to former Titans star Derrick Henry
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