Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott misses practice due to injury

The Dallas Cowboys suffered a minor setback in their preparation for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. Running back Ezekiel Elliott missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. The injury is not considered serious, and Elliott expects to return on Thursday.

After a slow start to the season, Elliott has returned to his All-Pro form. Over the past three weeks, he is averaging more than 100 yards per game on 5.83 yards per carry. He has 395 scrimmage yards this season with four touchdowns through four games.

Third-year running back Tony Pollard has emerged as the other half of Dallas’ one-two punch, complimenting Elliott with his pass-catching abilities.

If Ezekiel Elliott missed significant time with injury, Tony Pollard would become the feature back with Corey Clement in reserve.

Jerry Jones on Ezekiel Elliott

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is never shy to speak up on situations involving his players. And this week was no different. In an interview on 105.3 The Fan, he spoke about running back Ezekiel Elliott and provided more context on his star back performance.

Elliott has been the focal point of much criticism early in the season after a slow start. But in the last two games, there has been a significant upswing in his productivity. Jones knew exactly what the reason was behind this shift and let fans in on the secret.

“We all saw how he prepared, getting ready for the season,’ said Jones. “What you put in in spring, what you put in in training camp, that’s what you get out during the season. He put it in during the offseason and it’s paying dividends for him.”

The Cowboys’ Pro Bowl running back did not start the season off on the right foot against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had just 11 carries for 33 yards and no touchdowns. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy accredited that to the Dallas game plan.

The Buccaneers had a top-ranked rush defense from the year before and returned all of their starters. In addition to that, the Cowboys were without All Pro guard Zack Martin. So, they believed the best course of action was to attack the Tampa Bay secondary.

So far in the year, Ezekiel Elliott is top 10 in four major statical rushing categories. His 342 yards on the ground is good for fourth. While his four touchdowns have him tied for the league lead.