Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, have a limited offensive unit thanks to injuries to the offensive line and star quarterback Dak Prescott.
However, Tomlin and his staff are still zeroed in on one Cowboys player in particular: running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The former All-Pro is still carrying a heavy workload for Dallas, and Tomlin said Elliott has been the focal point of Pittsburgh's preparation thus far:
“I know Ezekiel Elliott has a lot of our attention and preparation and rightfully so. . . . Common sense tells you he’ll be a central figure in your game plan,” Tomlin said, via Jori Epstein of USA Today.
Elliott has been hard-pressed to find consistent running lanes with much of the offensive line on the shelf.
The former Ohio State star is averaging under four yards per carry, and rushed 19 times for just 63 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
Still, a big performance from Elliott could help the Cowboys build momentum, especially given Dallas is still uncertain just who will be under center. Regardless, the Steelers should be up to the task.
Pittsburgh ranks second in both total defensive DVOA and rushing DVOA, per Football Outsiders. The Steelers are also giving up just four yards per carry. However, Tomlin's defensive unit was gashed for over 250 yards against the Baltimore Ravens last weekend.
No doubt Mike Tomlin was less than pleased with that element of his team's performance, and the Steelers will hope to rectify those errors by shutting down Elliott and the Cowboys on Sunday.
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