DALLAS — With a potent duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, the Dallas Cowboys could be looking to grind out games on the ground.
Owner Jerry Jones made an appearance on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday to discuss the status of the franchise on the cusp of the 2022 season and made it clear that the way to victory remains via the run game.
“With our plan and our personnel, we hope to be able to run the football more than we ran it, let’s say, in the last few years. And [Elliott] will be critical to that,” Jones said.
Elliott, a four-time 1,000-plus yard rusher and a two-time NFL rushing champion, had an uneven season for the Cowboys in 2021 with a solid first half before injuries slowed him down in the second half. Dallas now anticipates that Elliott will be healthier and ready for the heavy load.
The Cowboys rushed for 2,119 yards in 2021 which was good for ninth-most in the NFL. Jones’ expectation that Dallas runs the ball more often could come from the notion that the passing game has perhaps taken a step back with an overhaul of the receiving corps.
Gone are top targets Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson with rookie Jalen Tolbert expected to step in as a threat for quarterback Dak Prescott. The offense will be without standout receiver Michael Gallup for an undetermined amount of time early in the season as he continues to rehab from knee surgery after sustaining an ACL tear in Week 17 last season.
Jones, however, doesn’t expect Gallup to miss much time.
"If this was the Super Bowl, Gallup would be lining up and playing,” Jones said during his appearance on “Shan and RJ.” “If (Week 1) against Tampa were the Super Bowl, he’d be lining up and playing. So, we’re going to be cautious – or not cautious, but conservative – with him. He’s that ready.”
Once cause for concern with the run game-focused offense is a perceived problematic offensive line. With La’el Collins released and Connor Williams a free agent signee with the Miami Dolphins, the Cowboys lost two starting-caliber linemen during the offseason.
Dallas drafted offensive lineman Tyler Smith with their first-round selection in April’s NFL Draft with the hopes that he would take over for one of those departures while learning on the job from All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith. However, the 12-year veteran from USC suffered a torn hamstring injury late in camp which has altered the plan.
Jerry Jones said "it's safe to say" that Tyler Smith will be the starting left tackle for Week 1.
"We've got to get him out here and get him practiced here over the next couple of weeks relative to any issue he had with a little high ankle sprain," Jones said. "But we don't think that's serious enough to limit his preparation. Now, what is the case is he hasn't been there at left tackle. He is a rookie. But he's a first-round pick and he deserved to be a first-round pick in my mind. And so we knew - we just didn't want to come any earlier than it needed - but we knew we had to get ready to replace our left tackle and he was the pick."
With Tyler Smith cast into the fires of being Prescott’s blindside protection early, the Cowboys will have to count on the experience of veterans such as Elliott to carry them.
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