News broke yesterday that the Dallas Cowboys will be without their star running back Ezekiel Elliott against the Atlanta Falcons this week. The on-again/off-again suspension saga has put the Cowboys at a disadvantage, but you won’t hear them crying over spilt milk. They will now have to turn to Alfred Morris, Rod Smith, and Darren McFadden to carry the running game in Elliott’s absence, but who exactly is the top dog among the three?
Alfred Morris certainly looks as if he will get the first shot to try to replace Ezekiel Elliott’s production for the Cowboys. Morris has already had a few impressive runs this year while Elliott took a breather. In fact, he is averaging an impressive 8.3 yards per carry and is playing with a renewed energy/burst that we haven’t seen from him since coming to Dallas. And believe it or not, he has the longest run of the year (70 yards), not Ezekiel Elliott (30 yards).
If Morris can continue to have that kind of success, it’s unlikely Rod Smith or Darren McFadden see very many carries. But, I believe Rod Smith is the running back who will emerge among the three and eventually receive more carries than Alfred Morris. Fortunately, I’m not the only one who believes this way.
If the Zeke suspension holds, I'm not sure what the legal options are, I think we're going to see a lot more of Rod Smith than anyone realizes. Think he'll have more touches than Alfred Morris over the six games.
— Jeff Sullivan (@SullyBaldHead) November 9, 2017
For those of you who don’t know Jeff Sullivan, he is a featured Staff Writer for the Dallas Cowboys. He is one of the lucky few who know a little bit more about what’s going on behind the scene than us casual fans. But, him saying that Rod Smith will have more touches than Alfred Morris doesn’t surprise me all that much.
Back in August I wrote about Rod Smith and how I believed he would emerge as Ezekiel Elliott’s primary backup. Please feel free to read my reasons as to why I feel this way. It may surprise you, but I still feel this way today, even several months later.
Now, there is no way of knowing if he will eventually see more touches than Alfred Morris or even Darren McFadden for that matter. Rod Smith first has to be given the opportunity to prove himself, but I think that’s all he needs.
Rod Smith is the unknown that everybody wants to see more of. He brings unique size and speed to the position, but possesses the skill set to be a three-down back in the NFL. But, what I like the most about him is the attitude he brings to the table.
I like both Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden. I really do. But, they just don’t run with the same kind of violence Rod Smith does. I think it’s that kind of attitude the Cowboys offense will feed off of, much like they do when Ezekiel Elliott runs the ball.
I’m sure the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff will ride the hot hand during Elliott’s absence. They can’t afford not to. But, when all is said and done, I think it’s going to be Rod Smith that rises to the top. Remember, you heard it here first.
I think you may be right Brian. The little bit he has played, he has shown that nasty side to gain the extra yard or two. His burst seems good, and he runs with good balance. I think our running game is going to be fine. It is truly annoying to listen the talking heads talk about how we are toast now. They make it sound like we pulled guys of the sidewalk to play RB for us. We have two accomplished runners, and one very intriguing less experienced RB, and arguably the best O-line in the NFL. Be fun to hear people explain how they knew we would be alright along after we run over Atlanta on Sunday.
The running game will be a little bit less dynamic without Zeke, but you’re right, they will be just fine. I personally really like Rod Smith and I think he might be better than Morris or McFadden if given the chance. We will have to wait and see how things play out though.
I think I am drinking the Kool Aid a bit here, but I am feeling like we are seeing the development of a championship team. The offense is great, the defense is coming along nicely. It feels like we have a sustainable championship contender growing. I had a friend who is a Marine tell me, the Cowboys will improvise, adapt, and overcome, and they will win even without Zeke. I am going with that.
You’re not the only one drinking the Kool-Aid. I’m right there with you. Although, I would like to see the refs actually throw some flags against the teams the Cowboys are playing. I know it may sound like a conspiracy theory, but it looks like the entire NFL is out to get the Cowboys.
It does feel that way at times. We will see how Sunday goes. I am thinking we may get a crazy running game out of this weekend because I expect the Falcons to scheme us differently early at least, not as much 8 in the box.
I’m kind of leaning the other way. I think defenses will continue to stack the box and force Prescott to beat them with his arm.
I definitely want to see what these 3 RBs have. We have been teased and assured, but on Sunday we will see who these guys are. Totally agree that Rod Smith may come out on top and we will be a more rounded team with greater options as a result. We are going to have some bumps in the road, some rough spots. Objectively, we have been blessed. Our injuries have been minimal when compared to other teams. As Tyron sits, we have Chaz to let him rest for Philly. Nugent has filled in nicely for Bailey. Sean Lee and Hitch came back just in time. Zeke isn’t an injury, but it hurts not having him. We all thought Zeke would be back by now, but he is just starting and so are these 3 running backs. Looking forward to Sunday.
I think everyone is somewhat anxiously awaiting to see what the running game looks like without Zeke in the lineup. The coaching staff has been pretty adamant things won’t be much different, but Elliott is such a special talent it’s hard not to think the offense will take a step back. Hopefully the coaching staff is right though. And, I completely agree with you about injuries. The Cowboys have been pretty fortunate in that area.