Locked On Cowboys: O-Lineman to IR; Should Zeke Sit Vs. Bengals?
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys are shutting down another erstwhile starting offensive lineman ... which causes one to wonder, all things considered, should they also shut down two-time NFL rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott?
In this episode of the "Locked On Cowboys'' podcast, hosts Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool get us ready for the Cowboys' visit in Week 14 to the Cincinnati Bengals, a bad team jousting with Dallas (another bad team) in the NFL Draft-focused "Tank-a-Thon.''
But despite the poor records, we can still muster up enough excitement to list "our five players who we are excited to watch in Week 14.''
One of those will not be offensive tackle Cam Erving. On Friday, the veteran - a player originally projected to be the swing tackle who was tossed early on into the starting lineup, only to almost immediately sustain a knee injury - was moved to the injured reserve list with a knee problem. This is his second such stint there, and so he is ineligible to return; his season is over.
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Dallas' offensive line has been ravaged by injuries, of course, which is one of the reasons we wonder if Zeke should be asked to plod on - especially as this week he's nursing a bruised calf.
Should Zeke be one of the "five to watch''? Or should he sit and watch himself?
“You can’t not be frustrated,” Elliott said this week, indicating how much he wants to fix things. “You have to be frustrated. I think if you aren't frustrated, then you don't give a f---.”
Zeke cares; he mentioned wanting to play, no matter what, for "my brothers.''
But there are benefits to Elliott sitting. Two of them, really: His present health, and the future health of an organization that would benefit from a loss here that leads to a higher pick in the NFL Draft.
Elliott shouldn't think that way. But Cowboys Nation can be excused for doing so.
We also wonder: Can Leighton Vander Esch bounce back after a bad Week 13? And, how will Andy Dalton perform in his return to Cincinnati?
All that and more ... Join us, and thanks as always for listening to the "Locked on Cowboys'' podcast!
