A few years ago, the Dallas Cowboys had a great setup with their running backs. They had Ezekiel Elliott, who was really good but started to slow down because he played a lot. Alongside him was Tony Pollard, who was also playing amazingly well.
Fast forward a couple of years, and things have changed dramatically for the Cowboys’ running game.
The Cowboys’ current running back situation is not looking good at all. They tried bringing back Elliott after he spent some time away, but his performance has been disappointing through six games. As a result, young Rico Dowdle has been given more chances to shine on the field.
In an attempt to fix their struggles, Dallas signed veteran Dalvin Cook during the offseason. Unfortunately, this move didn’t help much since Cook hasn’t even played for them yet. What’s worse is that they missed out on signing another talented player who was available at the same time.
Meanwhile, over in Kansas City, the Chiefs faced their own challenges when starting running back Isaiah Pacheco got injured. They experimented with different players before re-signing Kareem Hunt, who had been a free agent.
Hunt’s return to the Chiefs has been impressive. He’s delivered solid performances by matching Pacheco’s average yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns in just three games. His stats show how valuable he could have been for the Cowboys.
Yet, Dallas opted to stick with Dowdle, Elliott, and Cook instead of going after Hunt.
Comparing their numbers reveals the gap: Elliott has only managed 115 yards with one touchdown, while Dowdle has 246 yards without any touchdowns.
For Cowboys fans, seeing their team struggle so much is tough. If just a few plays had gone differently, they might have been looking at a much worse record.