ARLINGTON, Texas – For the first time in his career, Dallas Cowboys runner-up Ezekiel Elliott missed a game due to injury.
Elliott, who suffered a beef blow in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 8, was among the Cowboys’ inactive for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. He didn’t exercise during the week, but coach Mike McCarthy had said he expected Elliott to play.
With Elliott out, the Cowboys have Tony Pollard ready for a bigger role. They have incorporated rookie Rico Dowdle as a backup and added Sewo Olonilua to the practice squad on Saturday.
On Wednesday, Elliott said it took a couple of pushes for his calf to loosen up against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 13, but once he did he felt good. He was limited to 48 yards in 12 runs and needed a maximum of 26 yards of the season in the second half to reach that total.
Elliott was held off two Week 17 clashes in 2016 and 2018, when the Cowboys had the final playoff position. He lost six games in 2017 due to a suspension.
This season has been a struggle for Elliott. He has 832 yards in 211 runs with five touchdowns, but has lost five beats in the run and only has one 100-yard game in the season. In the entire seasons he has played, he has never had less than 1,357 yards running. Entering Sunday, he walked 1,024 yards.