Who Is Ezekiel Elliott's Backup for the Cowboys?
Now that Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension will begin starting Week 10, the Cowboys will have to turn to their backup running backs.
Alfred Morris is the third leading rusher for Dallas behind Elliott and Dak Prescott with 116 yards on 14 carries. His best game with the Cowboys this season came in Week 4 when he gained 76 yards against the Rams, but 70 of those yards came on one carry. Last season Morris averaged 3.5 yards per carry and finished the year with 243 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games playing behind Elliott.
Along with Morris, Dallas can also turn to third-year man Rod Smith. Smith is fourth on the team with 69 rushing yards, but like Morris, a large chunk of his yardage came from one big run. Smith gained 61 of his yards this season in Week 7 when the Cowboys played the 49ers, and 45 of those yards came on one run. Going into this season, Smith had just five career rushing yards over two years.
In addition to Morris and Smith, the Cowboys also have Darren McFadden on the roster. McFadden has not had a rushing attempt this season, but last year he had 24 carries for 87 yards over three games. In 2015, he led Dallas with 1,089 yards, but only had three touchdowns for the season.
The Cowboys play the Falcons in Atlanta this week. Then they host the Eagles, Chargers and Redskins before going back on the road to play the Giants and Raiders. Elliott can return for their Week 16 matchup against the Seahawks in Dallas and will also be back for a Week 17 game in Philadelphia.
