The Dallas Cowboys faced significant struggles in both their running game and run defense on Sunday, but the latter proved more problematic. Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns, highlighting the Cowboys’ defensive issues. However, the offense’s rushing woes also raised concerns after two games.
Rico Dowdle started in place of Ezekiel Elliott and seemed to outperform him. Surprisingly, Elliott was ranked third in the running back rotation, with Deuce Vaughn even getting a carry before Elliott entered the game late in the first quarter. Excluding quarterback Dak Prescott’s scrambles for 12 yards, the Cowboys rushed 19 times for just 56 yards, averaging a meager 2.94 yards per attempt. Notably, CeeDee Lamb holds the Cowboys’ longest run of the season, a 12-yard jet sweep against the Cleveland Browns, which underscores the team’s struggles in the ground game.
The responsibility for this issue seems to fall on Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones, who believed the current backfield was adequate. During the offseason, the team had opportunities to sign several affordable running backs in free agency, including J.K. Dobbins—a player fans and even Dez Bryant lobbied for.
Dobbins, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, has proven to be one of the best value signings of the offseason. In Week 1, he rushed for 135 yards on 10 carries, followed by an impressive 131 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in Week 2. Dobbins leads the league in rushing with 266 yards on just 27 carries, boasting an impressive 9.9 yards per carry. He is also among the league leaders in explosive runs, yards after contact per attempt, and first downs.
As a football fan, it’s encouraging to see Dobbins healthy and performing at a high level. However, for Cowboys fans, it is disheartening to see Dallas miss out on signing the Houston native. Dobbins chose the Chargers, signing a contract worth $1.61 million with only $50,000 guaranteed. In contrast, the Cowboys signed Elliott to a one-year contract worth up to $3 million, including $1.625 million guaranteed. So far, Elliott has rushed 16 times for 56 yards and one touchdown. Among the 39 running backs with at least 16 carries, his performance ranks 38th in rushing grade, 32nd in yards after contact per carry, and he has yet to force a missed tackle.
While signing Dobbins could have carried some risk due to his injury history, he would have fit the Cowboys’ limited budget and provided the explosive playmaking ability the team currently lacks. This situation serves as another instance where the Cowboys might have benefited from heeding the advice of their fan base.
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