Ezekiel Elliott 'Dumbfounded' by Lack of Red Zone Opportunities for Cowboys

Karl Rasmussen | Oct 10, 2024

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys' rushing attack has been one of the worst in the NFL this year.

Despite the return of Ezekiel Elliott, who reunited with the Cowboys on a one-year contract during the offseason, Dallas has averaged just 82 rushing yards per game, the second-worst production in the league, only besting the New York Jets.

When asked by reporters about his role within the offense, Elliott admitted that he's a bit perplexed by the lack of touches he's receiving, particularly when it comes to the red zone. According to Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS Sports, Elliott is "dumbfounded" by his role within the offense and his lack of red zone opportunities and even spoke with coaches about the situation.

This season, Rico Dowdle has emerged as the lead running back in Dallas's backfield. He leads the team with 54 attempts and 221 yards. Elliott is behind him with 30 carries and 98 yards, as well as one touchdown. His 3.3 yards per carry and 6.0 carries per game are the lowest of his career.

In recent weeks, Elliott has been seeing less of the field and has even remained sidelined during some of the team's red zone opportunities. Since attempting 10 rushes in Week 1, Elliott has not logged more than seven carries in a single game as the team continues to lean more on Dowdle, as well as fullback Hunter Luepke.

The Cowboys haven't had much success in the red zone this year, scoring touchdowns on less than 50% of their trips inside the 20. Just last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dowdle fumbled the ball on a goal-line opportunity, though Dak Prescott dove on top of it and recovered it. It's possible inserting Elliott more frequently in those situations could help yield better results.

---

More of the Latest Around the NFL

feed