Cowboys Bench Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard Starts; Jerry Jones Reveals Disciplinary Action

Why did Ezekiel Elliott not see the field on the Dallas Cowboys' first drive?

The Dallas Cowboys 54-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night was different for many reasons. One, the Cowboys scored a franchise-record 33 points in the fourth quarter as they bludgeoned the Colts. Two, running back Ezekiel Elliott did not receive the start in the backfield alongside quarterback Dak Prescott.

It was the first time in his career that Elliott did not start the game when healthy. Instead, the Cowboys opted to give Tony Pollard the "start." 

And why?

Team owner Jerry Jones revealed post-game that Elliott came off the bench due to a disciplinary issue. ... and then mentioned something about being late to a meeting ... or something.

Elliott himself declined to address what is apparently a minor issue while Dak Prescott - good teammate that he is - pretended that Zeke sort of volunteered to give up the job to Pollard.

But in reality it was not ceremonial. Nor was it a "demotion,'' Jones said. Nor is it permanent ... probably.

Even after being sidelined for the first series, which ended in a punt, Elliott was productive. He rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Those carries were more than Pollard's 12 rushes for a team-best 91 yards.

A one-time deal won't mean much in the long term for Zeke. ... though it marks the first non-start of his NFL career.

Elliott has already missed time due to a knee injury. In his stead, Pollard made the most of his opportunity, making his case to get more touches since Zeke returned. But Prescott did note that the pair approaches the job without "egos,'' which the Cowboys hope is the central point of this tale.

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