Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott cleared for next two games

The Dallas Cowboys got some good news on Tuesday as they will have Ezekiel Elliott on the field for their next two NFL games. What does this mean for Zeke?

The saga of Ezekiel Elliott continues as it has become official that he can play in the Dallas Cowboys next two contests. The Cowboys were prepping for life without Zeke and it appears they can focus on having their full array of weapons. But what does this mean exactly? Let’s explore the details.

U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty ruled that Elliott is eligible to play for the next two weeks as the court waits for the presiding judge, Katherine Polk Failla to return from vacation. The temporary ruling is another win for Zeke and the Dallas Cowboys as they pull out all of the stops to try to clear the young running backs name.

The league will appear before the presiding judge by October 30th so Elliott should be safe to play for the next two weeks. There seem to be two important arguments at work here, the rights of the players are in question as Elliott’s legal team will argue that an NFL players career is short, and any game he misses will be gone forever, and so will those game checks.

That is only one of the many sides to the defense’s arguments as the NFLPA continues to stand behind the Dallas Cowboys star running back. The NFL will argue that this invites every player who has been suspended or will be suspended to fight the league in a similar manner, however, this is unlikely.

For most suspensions, conduct is a factor, so far Elliott has not failed any drug tests or been arrested. While the NFL does not have to necessarily give a solid case to why they would want to suspend a player, the rights of those that play in the league are integral to this case.

The court of law ruled that there was no need to investigate Ezekiel Elliott and he was cleared, so on what grounds does the NFL have the right to punish him? It is a sticky situation that really has no chance of ending soon, but let’s talk about best and worse case scenarios.

Currently, Elliott is going to play against the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins. Week Seven will see the Dallas Cowboys travel to Santa Clara, California to take on the San Francisco 49ers in what should be the teams best matchup of the season so far.

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The 49ers have major issues stopping opponents rushing attack so Elliott looks to have a terrific matchup here. Before the Cowboys bye, Elliott saw the most carries he has had all season against the Green Bay Packers so I would expect a similar game plan here.

Week Eight will have the Cowboys head to the heart of Redskin country as Dallas will take on their bitter rivals in Washington. This is a game that Elliott had to be on the field for as the Redskins defense has been incredibly effective this season.

To be completely honest as long as Elliott plays in one contest against the Redskins the Cowboys should be in good shape when it comes to winning the division. The team will end the season facing the Philadelphia Eagles so any tie-break scenarios would come down to that game most likely.

The game against Washington Elliott will miss (if he is suspended) is a home game so the Cowboys have a better chance coming away with a W in Dallas without their star running back than on the road.

Zeke will likely miss the second contest against the New York Giants in New York however if the Cowboys can close out some of the easier games on this schedule they should be ahead in the standings.

Having Elliott back by the time the Cowboys close out the season is critical as Dallas will face the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks before their showdown with Philadelphia.

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A large portion of the people who have seen the facts surrounding this case believe it is clear Elliott is getting the raw end of the deal as both judges and legal analysts have seen no reason for the NFL to hand down punishment.

It is critical that the NFLPA, Dallas Cowboys, and Zeke’s legal team do everything they can in the extra time they have been given because, with this situation, you never know what could happen next.