The Dallas Cowboys running game has been heavily criticized this season.
The Cowboys went into the year with Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott as the team’s primary running backs, opting to role with those guys instead of pursing star running back Derrick Henry in free agency.
While Dallas went into the season with a Dowdle splitting carries with Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys seem ready to make Rico Dowdle the bell cow and have him carry their running game for the remainder of the season.
Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Thursday that Dowdle will be the team’s lead back moving forward, beginning Monday night against the Houston Texans.
“Definitely, you have to get him the ball. That’s my focus to continue to get him opportunities. He’s the lead back,” McCarthy said, via Clarence Hill Jr. of All Dlls.
Dowdle has appeared in eight games, starting seven, and leads the Cowboys in rushing with 374 yards on 83 carries. He’s also caught 24 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns, but has yet to find the end zone on the ground.
Elliott, meanwhile, has just 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries, averaging only 3.2 yards per attempt. Veteran Dalvin Cook has played the last two games, but his 20 yards rushing on eight attempts doesn’t exactly spark a lot of hope that he’ll be a major contributor going forward.
Dallas has lost four games in a row, and at 3-6, is on track to have its first losing season since 2020 and just its second losing campaign in the last 14 years. Overall, the team’s offense has been a disappointment, and now quarterback Dak Prescott is out for the season.
