Ezekiel Elliott has not had the best time in his second stint with the Dallas Cowboys and has become a healthy scratch in Week 9. In his place, the team activated veteran Dalvin Cook from the practice squad to potentially play in his second straight game with the team against the Atlanta Falcons.
Cook was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad on Nov. 2, per Tom Pelissero. Shortly after, it was reported that Elliott did not travel with the team to Atlanta due to disciplinary reasons by Adam Schefter. The team did not disclose what the disciplinary actions were for.
In his first game of the season, Cook took six carries for 12 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8. He added one catch for 10 yards through the air. Cook was activated and saw the field due to starting running back Rico Dowdle missing the game with an illness. Dowdle will return to the starting lineup in Week 9 with Cook as his backup and Deuce Vaughn a distant third on the depth chart.
Dowdle's absence was painfully evident for the Cowboys in Week 8. Without their leading rusher, Dallas amassed just 56 rushing yards as a team and wound up losing by six points.
Elliott served as the de facto Week 8 starter and turned his 10 carries into 34 rushing yards and a touchdown. He caught his lone target for four receiving yards. While a bleak yardage production, the 34 yards were Elliott's most in a single game since rushing for 40 yards in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
Struggling Cowboys face Falcons in Week 9
In Week 5, the Cowboys managed to get over the hump and improve to 3-2 but have not won a game since. As losers of their last two games, Dallas is now below .500 with a 3-4 record entering Week 9. The 5-3 Falcons will be the Cowboys' third opponent in their last four games with a winning record.
Over the past two weeks, Dallas has been outscored 33-77 by the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. The loss to the Lions marked their second game of the season allowing over 40 points and their first time failing to reach double digits.
The schedule does not appear to get any easier for the Cowboys in Week 9 against Atlanta. The Falcons have won four of their last five games and are coming off an inspiring 31-26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With 31 points in the game, the Falcons topped 30 for the third time in the last month.
Follow Us
Subscribe
