You would think after finally giving in to Ezekiel Elliott's demands of a new contract; the Dallas Cowboys would want to see that $90 million being put to use. However, so far this season, they have only given Elliott more than 20 carries twice and haven't used him in the passing game as extensively as one would have thought.
After dropping three straight and losing the hold they once had on the NFC East, it is time for the Cowboys to hand the ball off to their most dynamic player.
The Cowboys were able to start the season 3-0 due to the unexpected emergence of Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' passing attack. During their last three games, it seems like defenses have figured out how to play the pass-happy Cowboys as Prescott has fallen off a bit, throwing for four interceptions and only two touchdowns during that stretch.
So far this season, Elliott has seen a career-low in rushing attempts per game and has seen a drop off from last year in terms of receptions per game. In previous years, the Dallas offense was run through Elliott, and it was successful. While it was a good early sign to see Prescott throw the ball very effectively, it is time to go back to feeding their all-pro running back.
Prescott has demonstrated his improved passing ability in a more creative offense, but the Cowboys can further maximize Prescott's arm by handing the ball off, which will make Dallas' play-action much more effective.
Although banged up, they still have one of the better offensive lines in the game that can move mountains for Elliott. Currently 6th in the league in yards, Elliott has been effective, but the Cowboys are a much more complete offense when running it through Elliot.
The pressure on Prescott will go down as he will be able to lean on his fourth-year back. Dallas should lean on Zeke this week in particular as they host a banged-up receiving core with both Randall Cobb and Amari Cooper not practicing on Wednesday and Michael Gallup limited.
Dallas knows what they have in the backfield, but they must avoid becoming an offense that is too pass-happy and thinks they are too cool to run the ball. Look at the 49ers, who are undefeated in large part due to their great and creative offensive system, but they still rank first in the league in rushing play percentage.
The Cowboys have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball but must use each one effectively and consistently to become a legitimate contender.
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