Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett plans to use star running back Ezekiel Elliott this Saturday when they take on the Oakland Raiders at home. If Elliott plays, it will be the first time this preseason that he sees action. The rusher missed the Cowboys' first three outings which were against the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams and the Indianapolis Colts.
According to Garrett, the reason why he is giving Elliott snaps this Saturday is for him to be ready anytime in the 2017 NFL season. As of the moment, the 22-year-old's playing future is up in the air.
The Cowboys running back was slapped with a six-game suspension two weeks ago after violating the league's personal conduct policy. He already filed an appeal and a hearing is set to take place on Tuesday.
Darren McFadden Stepping Up
In Elliott's absence, taking over the rushing department for Dallas is Darren McFadden. The 29-year-old led the Cowboys in rushing in their last two preseason games. In the 13-10 loss to the Rams, McFadden tallied six carries for 28 yards. He had nine rushing attempts for 59 yards in a 24-19 victory over Indianapolis. The veteran is trying to bounce back after being limited to just three games (one start) in the previous season because of an off-field right elbow injury.
Hopefully, McFadden can continue his good performance when the Cowboys face his former team, the Raiders. He spent seven seasons in Oakland before heading to the Big D in 2015.
No backup yet for Dak Prescott
Dallas is already past the halfway mark of its preseason campaign, but the team is yet to name a second stringer for franchise quarterback Dak Prescott.
The competition between undrafted rookie Cooper Rush and the veteran Kellen Moore continues. For now, it appears that Rush has a slight lead following his terrific showings in the Cowboys' games against the Rams and Colts. So far, in three appearances, Rush already threw for four touchdowns, while Moore only has one. Despite the current situation at the backup quarterback position, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is not worried.
He thinks they have ample time to determine who will follow Prescott on the depth chart. The coaching staff has two games to assess Rush and Moore. A decision will likely be announced a few days ahead of the season. The Cowboys are going to begin a new journey on September 10 when they host their NFC East rivals, the New York Giants.
