Getty The Cowboys could solve their red zone issues with their former RB Ezekiel Elliott.
The Dallas Cowboys could look towards one of their former players to solve their red zone issues.
As mentioned by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Cowboys need to find a goal-line back to help solve their glaring red zone issues. During his column, Barnwell suggests Dallas make a trade for Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner, who ranked second with 15 rushing touchdowns during the 2021 season.
However, Barnwell mentions one interesting candidate if Conner’s knee — he’s currently on injured reserve after suffering the injury in Week 5 — is an issue. That candidate is none other than the Cowboys’ former franchise running back, Ezekiel Elliott. The current New England Patriots running back has had a nice steady role in the team’s backfield, posting 42 carries for 159 rushing yards this season.
“If the Cowboys don’t feel good about Conner’s knee, they might need to dial up an old flame and see if the Patriots are ready to abandon ship on Ezekiel Elliott,” writes Barnwell.
Why the Cowboys Could Upgrade With Ezekiel Elliott
Despite his decline as a runner last season, Elliott was still one of the NFL’s best threats in short-yardage and goal line situations. The three-time Pro Bowl running back posted 12 rushing touchdowns last season, ranking fifth in the league in the category.
During the 2022 season, Elliott had 35 carries inside the 20-yard line, 50% of the team’s carries in the red zone. He also had 26 carries inside the 10-yard line (61.9% of the team’s carries) and nine touchdowns on 16 carries inside the five-yard line (69.6% of the team’s carries).
Elliott’s nine touchdowns inside the five-yard line ranked third in the NFL, while his rush percentage ranked fifth.
While Elliott hasn’t produced a single touchdown for the Patriots this season, it’s worth noting that Elliott hasn’t been utilized in that fashion in New England this season. In fact, Elliott doesn’t have a single carry inside the five or 10-yard line this season. He has just one carry inside the red zone.
By comparison, Rhamondre Stevenson — the Patriots’ starting running back — has seven carries inside the 20-yard line, three carries inside the 10-yard line and one carry inside the five-yard line.
Cowboys Struggling Without Ezekiel Elliott in the Red Zone
The Cowboys’ red zone issues are no joke. After leading the NFL in red zone conversion percentage during the 2022 season — it’s no coincidence that Elliott was in the fold — they rank 28th with Tony Pollard leading the way in the backfield.
“Tony Pollard’s nine carries inside the 5-yard line have produced just two touchdowns, while the Cowboys have fallen from first in red zone conversion rate a season ago to 28th this campaign,” writes Barnwell.
Pollard has done fine as the team’s sole starting running back, running for a solid 4.2 yards per carry while posting 340 yards on 81 carries. The issue isn’t his overall running — it’s the fact that he’s just not a threat in goal line situations.
While a lot of the Cowboys’ struggles in the red zone stem from the shift in play calling from former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to Mike McCarthy, it’s also a result of not having a true short-yardage back, with Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn rounding out the depth chart. Neither running back has a single career rushing touchdown.
Making a play for Elliott is a viable one considering the Patriots are 1-4 and likely trending towards a top pick in next year’s draft. As crazy as it sounds, a reunion with Elliott could be the solution to Dallas’ red zone woes.