Commanders Aiming to Disrupt Rhythm For Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott

If the Washington Commanders want to win Sunday, they need to find a way to limit Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott's impact. That starts with disrupting his rhythm.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 1, 2022

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The Washington Commanders (1-2) are looking to return to the win column for the first time since Week 1 on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys (2-1).

If the Commanders want to do that, the team has to find a way to contain Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.

"You watch a guy like Zeke who's done it for a good little bit now, I've learned early that you get in the rhythm," running backs coach Randy Jordan said. "There's a rhythm and a flow that comes with getting multiple carries."

Elliott may not be the player he was back in his rookie season in 2016, but he's still someone that opponents need to game plan around. He's been getting better each week during the season. Last Monday against the New York Giants, Elliott ran for a season-high 73 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

With quarterback Dak Prescott still recovering from thumb surgery, the Cowboys will rely on winning the ball by dominating the ground game. The Commanders have been slightly below average in defending the run so far this season. Washington ranks 21st in the league, allowing 128.7 rushing yards per game.

If the Commanders defensive line can prevent Elliott (and teammate Tony Pollard) from getting into a rhythm early, Washington's path to victory on Sunday will be that much easier.

The Commanders and Cowboys kick off at 1 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Sunday.

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Published Oct 1, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.