Cowboys Running Back Expected to Miss Week 10

It's Tony Pollard time. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy expressed pessimism that running back Ezekiel Elliot would be available for Sunday's matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

While he wasn’t definitive, #Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy does not seem to expect RB Ezekiel Elliott to play vs #Packers today - his hyperextended right knee needing another week. Tony Pollard expected to start. He leads Dallas in rushing and TDs. pic.twitter.com/fngrVtHaHG
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) November 13, 2022

Elliot has been unavailable since suffering a hyperextended knee in Week 7's 24-6 win over the Detroit Lions. Due to a Week 9 bye, Elliot has only missed one game so far, a 49-29 win over the Chicago Bears.

Elliot's absence this week shouldn't prove a huge loss for the Cowboys. Fellow running back Tony Pollard was sensational in his first start of the season, rushing for 131 yards and three touchdowns in the dominant win. Pollard has consistently outperformed Elliot all season, rushing for 6.2 yards per attempt to Elliot's 4.1 and averaging 6.4 yards per target to Elliot's 4.0. The Cowboys face a Packers team today that ranks 26th in rushing yards allowed and 24th in rushing yards per attempt allowed.

The ideal Cowboys offense probably has room for Pollard and Elliot. Both could likely benefit from staying fresh so they can get the most out of their individual touches. Still, it should be fun to see exactly what Pollard is capable of with a dominant share of the rushing attempts.

The Cowboys visit the Packers at 4:25 PM ET on Sunday.