Dallas Cowboys: Can they outrun the rest of the NFC East?
#1 — The Dallas Cowboys
At first glance, this choice seems to hinge on Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. He led the NFL in rushing as a rookie and he likely would have taken home the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year title as well. However, quarterback Dak Prescott had a bit of a stellar rookie season, too.
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While it’s beginning to look like the Cowboys will play without Elliott for the first six weeks of the season, they don’t exactly have average Joes running behind him on the depth chart. Yes, Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden are six and eight years older than Zeke, respectively.
Yet, they have each averaged over five yards per carry in the team’s four exhibition games. The question could be asked about how much of that came from the prolific Dallas Cowboys offensive line. Plus, each has caught a couple of passes out of the backfield that amount to nothing worth writing home about.
But as a unit, these three backs combined for 2,352 all-purpose yards in 2016. Between Zeke’s ability to catch and run, and the solid work Jones did in getting Elliott some breathers here and there, this unit gains yardage in huge chunks.
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That will be the case again in 2017. If Elliott does end up sidelined for the first six games of the season, the Cowboys won’t feel it too much. Some of that will be due to their incredible front five. But they’ll still win games with the number two and number three backs carrying the ball. In the end the Dallas Cowboys have the number one back and a very formidable second and third option behind him. That’s why they’re the best backfield in the NFC East.