'Under Construction': Elliott and Cowboys O-line working to rebuild vs. Packers

'Under Construction': Elliott and Cowboys O-line working to rebuild vs. Packers

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys' running game, after last week's sloppy work in New Orleans, could be labeled "Under Construction.''

And it's the five bulldozers upfront who bear most of the responsibility for the offensive failures against the Saints ... and who figure to bear the responsibility for what Dallas does this Sunday against the visiting Packers.

“There just weren't very many plays where we were all doing our job at the same time,” Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick said.

This week, the Cowboys will have to do it without Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith (ankle). He'll watch as Cameron Fleming takes his place against Green Bay. And the other four guys -- and the running back, too, will work to take inspiration from failure.

“You definitely take it personally, because we didn’t expect to go out there and only put up 10 points,” Elliott said. “You’ve got to take it personally, but you’ve also got to take what you’ve learned from the game and move on.

What was learned in Zeke's 18 carries for a woeful 35 yards and 1.9 yards per carry?

Maybe there was too much predictability. Maybe Dallas failed to exploit the Saints' perimeter. Maybe turnovers cost them break-out chances. Or maybe Zeke and his O-line earned poor grades for execution.

This is rare territory for Dallas; Elliott is a two-time NFL rushing champion and during his time here, the Cowboys' O-line has been outstanding. Indeed, Dallas (now 3-1, as are the Packers) was happily reliant on the five upfront during the three-game winning streak that began the season. Dak Prescott's pocket was clean in addition to Elliott running free ... and even backup running back Tony Pollard had a 100-yard rushing game.

In the Elliott Era, he has averaged fewer than two yards per carry in a game just twice, the other coming in that 2017 lightning-storm-delayed Week 2 blowout loss at Denver in which managed just nine carries for eight yards.

“We’re on to a new opponent, a new team this week, and it’s a different obstacle,'' Elliott said, "so we’ve just got to figure out the best way to overcome this one.”

Dallas is unlikely to give up on the run this weekend; Green Bay ranks 26th in the NFL against the run after having allowed 176 rushing yards in a Week 4 loss to the Eagles. But All-Pro right guard Zack Martin cautioned, “They’ve got some big, thick, physical guys in the middle. It’s going to take a lot for us to get underneath those guys and get them out of there.”

The same was true of the Saints, of course. And as Frederick notes in being specific on what New Orleans did right, it was about game-planning and execution - with the scoreboard saying the Saints accomplished both in ways Dallas did not.

“I do think (the Saints) did a good job game-planning, trying to give themselves the best looks into our looks,'' Frederick said. "They were running generalized pressures and movements that would have been good against both (the run or the pass). So we just needed to tighten that up from an offensive line standpoint and make sure we are on top of those movements. And I think we've addressed that.”