Cowboys Country

Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook Make 'Run' on Cowboys' Schedule

The free-agent signings of running backs Dalvin Cook (New York Jets) and Ezekiel Elliott (New England Patriots) instantly make the Dallas Cowboys' early-season schedule more difficult.
Richie Whitt|
Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook Make 'Run' on Cowboys' Schedule
Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook Make 'Run' on Cowboys' Schedule

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While the Dallas Cowboys practiced in Oxnard Monday afternoon, there was a run on their regular-season schedule.

Good thing they drafted behemoth Mazi Smith for the middle of the line, because a run defense that ranked 22nd in the NFL last season will be severely tested early in 2023. After a flurry of free-agent transactions, in Week 2 against the New York Jets the Cowboys will now face Dalvin Cook. And in Week 4 they'll welcome former teammate Ezekiel Elliott back to AT&T Stadium as a member of the New England Patriots.

With the Minnesota Vikings, Cook was sixth in the league last season with 1,173 rushing yards. As a Cowboy, Elliott tied for the NFL's third-most rushing touchdowns with 12.

Given that Breece Hall is off the PUP List in New York and Rhamondre Stevenson is entrenched as the No. 1 back in Foxboro, neither Cook nor Elliott will likely be the feature back when their teams visit Arlington. But given their recent performance and tread left on their talented tires - both just turned 28 - the Cowboys' difficulty winning both games undoubtedly increased in the span of a couple hours.

With Elliott's return, there will be the team's emotional preparation (especially best friend Dak Prescott). And with both backs, there will now be tweaked game-planning by defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Cook joins a group of talented Jets' offensive weapons that includes, of course, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receivers Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman. For the Pats, Elliott - by any metric the third-best running back in Cowboys' history - will likely be Bill Belichick's short-yardage sledgehammer for an offense that was the NFL's worst in the Red Zone last season.

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

Richie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), TV (NBC5) and radio (105.3 The Fan). During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.

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