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7 Cowboys Who’ve Gone Missing to Begin the Season

We're only three weeks into the 2024 NFL season and these seven Dallas Cowboys players are already missing without a trace.

By Devon Platana

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) celebrates his first down run against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) celebrates his first down run against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
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The Dallas Cowboys have put their disappointing loss to the New Orleans Saints in the rearview mirror as they prepare for a Week 3 meeting with the Baltimore Ravens. It's going to require a full team effort to beat Lamar Jackson & Co. as the Cowboys are currently the 1.5-point home underdogs to the Ravens on DraftKings Sportsbook.

If the Cowboys want to avoid back-to-back losses, a stronger effort is needed than what they showed in Week 2. While certain Dallas players have played up to expectations, several individuals need to step up their game to help turn the ship around.

Here's a look at seven Cowboys players who've gone missing to begin the 2024 NFL season.

1-3. RBs Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, & Deuce Vaughn

Each of these running backs could've occupied their own spot in this article, however, I figured it'd be easier to group them all together.

The ground game was one of the Cowboys' strengths in recent years only to become one of their biggest offensive weaknesses in 2024. Through two weeks, Dallas is only averaging 23.0 carries (23rd) and 85.0 rushing yards (25th) per game. The situation is even worse when you realize the team hasn't scored a rushing touchdown since five minutes into the second quarter of Week 1.

While Tony Pollard was disappointing as the Cowboys' lead back in 2023, re-signing him would've been a massive upgrade over the current situation. Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn have turned a combined 36 carries into just 117 rushing yards and one TD in the first two games. They've also turned 10 receptions into 66 more yards, so it isn't as if they're making an impact in the passing game either.

For comparison, Pollard has tallied 144 rushing yards, 52 receiving yards, and one touchdown in his first pair of appearances with the Tennessee Titans. In other words, he's essentially outperformed Dallas' entire backfield on his own.

None of the trio is even doing much to rise above the competition. Elliott looks slow and washed up, Dowdle has regressed from his solid 2023 performance, and Vaughn likely wouldn't be on the 53-man roster if the Cowboys had a better RB3 option. As it stands, Malik Davis — who only played three games last year — and a declining Dalvin Cook are the only practice squad options.

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