Cowboys BREAKING: Ezekiel Elliott OUT for Practice with Knee Injury
Dallas Cowboys fans have seen the heartwarming friendship that quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott share since first entering the league together in 2016. Quickly taking the NFL by storm as rookies, they became the faces of one of the biggest franchises in sports.
However, that on-field chemistry hasn’t quite been able to spread its wings as the duo continues through their seventh year. Prescott has relegated to the sidelines with a Week 1 thumb injury while Elliott has dealt with criticisms and questions about his inability to recapture previous production.
But as Prescott returned to action in Sunday’s 24-6 win over the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium, he seemed to relight spark in Elliott, whose two touchdowns made all the difference as Dallas surged to a win behind a stout defense and bruising running game.
Zeke did get dinged up in that game, self-diagnosing with a "knee contusion.'' And now, from inside The Star, we know that Elliott will sit out the Wednesday workout ahead of Sunday's visit from the Bears. ... with coach Mike McCarthy putting a new label on it.
“It’s definitely classified as a knee sprain,'' McCarthy said.
Meanwhile, with Tony Pollard maybe prepping to take over (and with Malik Davis ready to jump from the practice squad), Prescott -- who had all the attention entering Sunday -- is making sure Elliott gets his much-deserved flowers for being the example the team has followed as they hold 5-2 record nearing the midpoint of the season.
“This team is selfless all the way around and I think we can look at Zeke and he’s the epitome of that," Prescott said. "He’s going to do whatever it takes ... We are blessed to have a back like that and the person that he is special."
Elliott finished with 15 carries for 57 yards and the two scores, which gave him seven total touchdowns in four career games against Detroit. Again ... He suffered what he said was a knee contusion after taking hard hit to his lower body, but he powered his way through it to be the workhorse running back Dallas needed.
After the offense got out to a slow start and the Cowboys trailed 6-3 at the half, Elliott knew the ground-and-pound attack with him and fellow running back Pollard would get the job done.
"We know we just had to tired them out a little bit," Elliott said. "That’s what those rushing attempts do ... I think we just had to stick with it, which we did, and those big ones start popping.”
Prescott finished a modest 19 of 25 passing for 207 yards and a touchdown, instead relying on Pollard and the "relentless" of Elliott, who gave him a bit of a scare after the injury.
“He’s relentless," Prescott said of Elliott. "When I saw the play, I thought it was a little ugly and I ran over to the sideline, and he said he would be good. It wasn’t too long before he was jumping a guy and that’s Zeke for you. He is going to go and give everything he can, each and every play."
With the gang all back together - hopefully, in regard to the practice field, later this week - the Cowboys will look to continue their winning ways when they host the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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