Dallas City News

As the backups for the Cowboys and Rams waged battle in their preseason opener, one of the biggest outcries from fans was about the ineffectiveness of Dallas’ running backs. This game was hardly a reflection of what the position will look like in the regular season, meaning we should slow down on passing judgment and clamoring for outside help.

Except for brief appearances by Rico Dowdle and Hunter Luepke at the start of the game, the guys playing in Los Angeles aren’t expected to be on the 2024 roster. Ezekiel Elliott, Royce Freeman, and Deuce Vaughn all sat out either on veteran privilege or for health reasons. The day belonged to the likes of Malik Davis, Snoop Conner, and Nathaniel Peat, who are probably competing for the practice squad at best.

Sure, it wasn’t pretty. The backup runners racked up an ugly 33 yards on 13 carries, just a 2.5 yard average. But just as they didn’t represent Dallas’ likely RB depth chart, the guys playing around them also aren’t going to be on the field much in 2024. Tyler Smith, Zack Martin, and Terence Steele didn’t play at all for the offensive line. We did see Brock Hoffman start at center and Tyler Guyton came in for a portion later, but that was hardly the run blocking that the Cowboys hope to have this season.

Similarly, the third-string passing game led by Trey Lance wasn’t indicative of Dallas’ offense come September. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, Brandin Cooks, and even Jalen Tolbert weren’t out there. There was nothing to take the pressure away from the line of scrimmage, especially with Lance not having a great performance. Whether it was the blocking in front or the synergy with the passing game, it wasn’t like the running backs had a great opportunity to excel.

Let’s make sure Rico Dowdle doesn’t get thrown out with the bath water, either. He averaged 4.7 yards on his three early carries and maintains frontrunner status in the RB room. While most projected starters didn’t play in Los Angeles, we just mentioned that Zeke, Freeman, and Vaughn were all out. Don’t take the brief Dowdle sighting as a sign that he’s not going to be the primary back in 2024, but just that Dallas was shorthanded in general and wants to get him a little run in August.

If you’re not sold on Dowdle, Zeke, or others as a RB depth chart for this season then that’s totally fair. Wanting the Cowboys to move on a veteran like Miles Sanders or Elijah Mitchell if they become available after final cuts isn’t unreasonable, but don’t let anything that happened against the Rams sway you. That wasn’t Dallas’ true RB situation on display, either in terms of the talent carrying the ball or the talent surrounding them.

The Cowboys’ huge shift toward a less gaudy running back position is jarring for some. At least this season, the days of RB1 making franchise money and having default consideration among the league’s best are over. We got accustomed to having one of the best during Zeke’s prime, not to mention the heyday of DeMarco Murray. We used to spend early picks on the likes of Julius Jones and Felix Jones. Going into a season with a declining Elliott and an undrafted guy like Dowdle as the top two is certainly not what we’re used to.

It’s okay to have anxiety over this new running back reality. Just don’t let it make you overreact to what we saw on Sunday against the Rams. Whatever the Cowboys’ RB room ends up doing in 2024, that game was no reflection of it. We probably won’t see much, if anything, in August unless Dallas treats one of their remaining preseason matchups as a true dress rehearsal. Otherwise, the true potency of the run game won’t be seen until the regular season.