Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott’s return energizes locker room

The Dallas Cowboys will see the return of one of their biggest superstars, Ezekiel Elliott. How will his return affect the team’s performance on the field?

Ezekiel Elliott has returned to the Dallas Cowboys after having served a six game suspension. He looks better than ever and is ready to carry the load as the Cowboys have scratched and clawed their way to three straight victories.

Dallas will need to win out if they hope to have a shot at making the playoffs and Elliott seems prepared to lead the charge.It is not yet known if Elliott will receive his full workload as he returns from a six-week absence, however, the running back is expected to carry the load over these next two contests.

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A looming matchup with the Seattle Seahawks is the game that most people will have their eyes on. It will not feature Elliott’s biggest rival on the Seahawks, safety Kam Chancellor as he was put on season-ending injured reserve. In fact, Seattle’s roster has been plagued with injuries all season.

As this big matchup draws near in addition to Chancellor we will see, Richard Sherman, Cliff Avril, Malik McDowell, and two of their best running backs in Chris Carson/C.J. Prosise on injured reserve.

This means free safety Earl Thomas will have to help out a bit more in stopping Elliott if the Seahawks are to be successful at keeping him quiet on game day. Elliott’s return does not only mean trouble for Seattle but also gives back quarterback Dak Prescott his most versatile player.

Elliott comes in and helps block, can play the role of receiver, and can ground out tough yards. He is in essence what makes the Cowboys offense tick. In recent weeks we have watched this team begin to find balance without Elliott so the pieces surrounding the top tier running back are playing at an extremely high level.

Elliott returning will only enhance the play of this football team. Zeke being on the field means a safety has to stay in the box, which will give one on one coverage to Dez Bryant on the outside, something he has not seen a whole lot of since Elliott has been out.

Bryant seeing single coverage more often would mean that Prescott will have an easier time getting the ball down the field and taking those chances that have not been there for the last six games.

Mentally, everyone on this team is excited to have Zeke back especially in two absolutely crucial contests. The Philadelphia Eagles may have wrapped up home-field advantage by the time the Dallas Cowboys do battle with them in Week 17 but and if that is the case, the Cowboys could easily walk into a must-win game playing against only backups.

More likely than not, the Minnesota Vikings will push for first place which would mean that the Eagles starters would play, and that would be an incredibly difficult matchup. Elliott being on the field completely changes the dynamic of this Cowboy offense and how opposing teams would play them.

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The Cowboys kept the Eagles at bay for an entire half of football before falling apart in the second half. Imagine what a fully loaded Dallas Cowboys team could do? Elliott’s return should amplify what has been a pretty prolific offense in recent weeks.