The long-awaited wait is finally over. After serving his six-game suspension, Ezekiel Elliott can finally rejoin his teammates and become a member of the Dallas Cowboys once again. He will without a doubt be welcomed with open arms, but can he save the Cowboys season?
The Dallas Cowboys are still technically in the playoff hunt, but it won't be easy for them to get there by any means. They pretty much have to win out the rest of the season and also get a little help from other teams around the league. But, sometimes all you need is a chance.
Ezekiel Elliott's return couldn't have possibly come at a better time. After narrowly escaping the Oakland Raiders Sunday night in a must win situation, the Cowboys are continuing to do what they need to in order to make it into the postseason. Elliott of course hopefully revives Dallas' stagnant offense.
We all know how important Elliot is on the offensive side of the ball for the Dallas Cowboys and how pungent they have looked these last six weeks without him. I could throw out all kind of statistics to prove my point, but we all know it and have seen it with their own eyes.
Unfortunately, opposing defenses simply don't respect the running game as much without Ezekiel Elliott in the lineup. This of course has put more on the shoulders of Dak Prescott and the passing game, but defenses around the league have pretty much figured out how to contain the Cowboys playmakers.
Dez Bryant receives extra attention on nearly every play and Cole Beasley is bracketed in coverage as well. This makes it extremely difficult to get them the ball and unfortunately no one else has really stepped up to help out. This is where Ezekiel Elliott comes in and why he is so important to the Cowboys offense.
There is no denying Ezekiel Elliott is a special talent. He strikes fear in opposing defenses because he is a threat to take it to the house anytime he touches the ball. It doesn't matter if it's in the running or passing game, he is equally dangerous in both.
Fortunately, Elliott should open things up for the entire offense. It will make Prescott's job easier by forcing defenses to have to determine whether they want to put another man in the box or continue to give extra attention to Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley. This should help get the offense back on track, which is exactly what the Cowboys need the rest the season.
The Cowboys have the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles left to play this season and both teams unfortunately have pretty good defenses. In order to win these games, the Cowboys will once again have to lean heavily on Ezekiel Elliott and I know we are all hoping he is up to the task. How he performs will likely determine the outcome of these next two games.
