Losing their lead running back, the Cowboys are better off than most teams. But then, most teams don’t have Ezekiel Elliott as their lead running back.
Elliott has not played as well as he did last season, but he still ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards with 393.
Without him, the Cowboys will rely on a running back by committee with Alfred Morris, Darren McFadden and Rod Smith.
They should be fresh. Morris, McFadden and Smith have combined to play 29 offensive snaps this season and have a total of 11 touches for 113 yards, with 70 of that came on one run by Morris against the Rams.
McFadden and Morris do have veteran experience, having combined for five 1,000-yard seasons, 10,466 career yards and 59 rushing touchdowns in 16 combined seasons.
Morris has backed up Elliott this season, with McFadden inactive for all five games. (McFadden played in only three games last season because of elbow surgery after rushing for more than 1,000 yards for the Cowboys in 2015.) But the Cowboys don’t trust Morris on third down.
Smith, who is Jaylon Smith’s brother, has played fullback and tailback for the Cowboys in his career and has only seven career touches for 41 yards.
The Cowboys will have a different look without Elliott, who has 105 carries and 17 receptions this season. They will mix and match and make do with Morris, McFadden and Smith.
