Dallas Cowboys: Can Ezekiel Elliott Take Team Worst To First?

In the current pass-first NFL, one thing remains the same. Running the football gets teams to the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys have reloaded their rushing attack with first-round draft choice Ezekiel Elliott and may be poised to retake the NFC East crown.

Of the top 10 rushing teams in 2015, eight had 8-8 or better records, five made the playoffs and the No. 2 rushing team advanced to the Super Bowl.

During the 2014 campaign, the stats were very similar. Five also made the playoffs, eight had 8-8 or better records, and the No. 1 rushing team reached the Super Bowl.

Two seasons ago, the Cowboys had the league’s No. 1 rusher in DeMarco Murray, posted a 12-4 record and won the division. And if not for a controversial incomplete pass call against Green Bay in the Division Playoffs, they may have reached the NFC Championship Game.

During that season, Murray ran for 1,845 yards and the Cowboys ranked team second in the league in rushing yards per game.

In many respects, the Cowboys were one of the few teams that opponents were forced to stack the box against in run support. They were the only team whose feature back grinded out more than 100 yards rushing per game. And, that 100-yard mark seems to be the touchstone by which backs are either measured or feared.

The great Jim Brown averaged more than 100 yards per game in seven of his nine seasons, all of which earned him Pro Bowl honors and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith completed the feat three times during his career, won three Super Bowls and also gained Hall of Fame enshrinement. Their opponents respected the team’s ability to run the ball.

However, in 2015 the Cowboys rushing numbers plummeted without Murray. Darren McFadden was signed to fill the void despite a failed career in Oakland and he cracked the 1,000-yard season mark. However, his numbers were short by nearly 800 yards in comparison to Murray’s 2014 output.

Keep in mind, a 1,000-yard rushing season only equals about 63 yards per game. Safeties don’t creep into the box because a guy might gain that in an entire game.

The Dallas ground game ranking sunk from second to ninth overall last season. Without Murray to keep opponents honest, quarterback Tony Romo got blasted to the tune of two fractured collarbones. Meanwhile, the team used four starting quarterbacks and Dallas would rank 27th in the NFL in passing yards per game.

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It all starts or ends with the ground game.

To remedy these woes, Jerry Jones pulled the trigger on the top rated running back in college football in Ezekiel Elliott. The Ohio State back averaged 140 yards per game in 2015 while playing against some of the nation’s best competition. He also added another 449 yards on 27 receptions.

While some NFL teams and analysts talk about the devaluation of the running back position, an effective ground game produces first downs, eats up the clock and forces more single coverage opportunities in the passing game. More importantly, running the ball wins football games.

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Some early projections have the Cowboys bouncing back from their 4-12 campaign and potentially winning their division this season. Much of that optimism is based upon Romo’s return and a rookie first-round draft choice that has the talent to restore the running game.

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