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Ezekiel Elliott is willing to undertake extreme lengths to maintain his title as the Dallas Cowboys starting running back — injured or not.
“They’re going to have to drag me off the field,” Elliott told reporters on Wednesday, December 8, via the official team website.
Elliott suffered what was thought to be a bone bruise in his knee during Dallas’ Oct. 3 victory over Carolina. But the former Pro Bowler corrected the diagnosis upon having an MRI after last week’s win at New Orleans.
“It just showed that it’s progressing and it’s getting better,” Elliott said. “Playing on it is not going to make it worse.”
Elliott has eclipsed 100 ground yards in a game just once since the injury, and that came the following week against the Giants. His numbers otherwise hit a significant downturn, coinciding with increased usage for hyped backup RB Tony Pollard, who’s now battling a foot issue.
There’s hope, though, that Zeke could show better in Sunday’s road affair at Washington, as the Cowboys’ mini-bye week afforded the two-time NFL rushing champ an opportunity to heal his creaky knee.
“I probably slept more than I’ve slept for a very long time. It just felt good getting some rest, getting that body back,” Elliott said Wednesday, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “Just stayed around the house. Went to see my PT. Other than that, sleep and movies.”
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Join Heavy on CowboysZeke Bracing for Elements
The current Week 14 weather forecast calls for colder temperatures at FedEx Field; a 25-degree drop from afternoon to evening. Suffice to say, this won’t be the comfortable confines of AT&T Stadium.
“Yeah, it’s a little harder to warm up outside, but the outdoor games you get the heated benches so it’s a little warmer on the sidelines,” he said, via the official team website. “Maybe at the beginning it’ll be a little stiff, but once the game goes on I’ll be able to put a little heat on it.”
In two meetings against Washington last season, Elliott combined for 77 scoreless yards on 22 carries. He could find tough sledding once more with the Football Team surrendering just 91.3 rushing yards per game in 2021, the NFL’s third-best mark.
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Pollard Expected to Play vs. WAS
As mentioned, the third-year Elliott understudy sustained a foot ailment in Week 13, which occurred on his explosive 58-yard touchdown scamper. Pollard didn’t practice on Wednesday and will be limited, at best, on Thursday.
He’s likely to draw a questionable tag for Sunday’s divisional tilt, though Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy adopted an optimistic posture, claiming Pollard is “on track” to suit up in Landover.
If Pollard cannot go, Corey Clement would operate as the No. 2 behind Elliott. The club also has RBs JaQuan Hardy and new signee Ito Smith on its practice squad.
