By Dwain Price, NDG Special Sports Contributor
FRISCO – Now that running back Ezekiel Elliott has returned to the lineup, the Dallas Cowboys not only believe they’re going to have a very Merry Christmas and an extremely Happy New Year. They also believe they’re going to find a way to qualify for the playoffs.
Elliott is back with the Cowboys after completing his NFL-mandated six-game suspension for violating the league’s domestic violence policy. While Elliott was away doing his own mini-camp in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the Cowboys managed to post a 3-3 record and remain in the race for a wild card spot in the NFC. The Cowboys fully believe Elliott will pick up where he left off and help them extend their current three-game winning streak to five by the end of the regular season.
“I guarantee he’s probably in better shape now than he was before he left,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “Being away from the game and that hunger. . .just knowing the type of person he is and competitor, watching football, I’m sure, lit something up inside of him and he’s ready to get back.”
Certainly, the Cowboys are more than ready to have the league’s premier running back on the field.
“That’s our guy, man, that’s our horse,” wide receiver Dez Bryant said. “He gives us an extra boost. Just seeing him back will make us play that much more harder, so I can’t wait.”
Neither can tight end Jason Witten.
“When you go through some of those adversities and you don’t play good football, and you lose, that’s when you got to kind of try to stay together to the end,” Witten said. “I know he’s worked hard to get himself back and he’ll provide juice for our football team when he comes back…so it’s good to be in the (playoff) hunt with him returning.”
Elliott has yet to talk to the mainstream media since his return. But he did tell the Cowboys’ team website – DallasCowboys.com – how thrilled he is to put on his uniform again.
“I’m happy to be here and I just felt love from everyone,” Elliott said. “They did a good job keeping us in it while I was gone. I’m just here to help the best way I can to make sure we get a chance to make it in the playoffs.”
Coach Jason Garrett had a simple but firm message to Elliott when he got to the team’s headquarters at The Star this past Monday.
“Get back to work,” Garrett said he told Elliott. “He’s a smart guy and he picks things up really quickly.
He’s a very instinctive player, but he’s also a smart person. So when you give him something and you install something he typically gets it and he’s able to take it to the practice field.”
Of course the excitement surrounding Elliott’s return would have been tempered if not for this past Sunday’s dramatic 20-17 victory on the road against the Oakland Raiders. It was one of those heart-stopping games for the ages. The game was knotted at 17-all when Garrett made a gutsy call and decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Cowboys’ 39-yard line with 5:01 remaining. A quarterback sneak by Prescott narrowly got the first down, but only after referee Gene Steratore had the first down chains brought onto the field, and he pulled out an index card.
When Steratore couldn’t slide the index card between the tip of the football and the end of the chain, he awarded the Cowboys a first down. From there, the Cowboys drove to the Oakland 1-yard line and Dan Bailey kicked a 19-yard field goal with 1:44 left to give Dallas a 20-17 lead. But the Raiders marched right down the field and were at the Dallas 8-yard line when quarterback David Carr scrambled and appeared well on his way to scoring the winning touchdown.
But out of nowhere, safety Jeff Heath scampered across the field and tackled Carr. And as Carr was trying to stretch the football to the goal line, he fumbled it through the end zone for an improbable touchback, and the Cowboys took over with 31 seconds to go.
“The key and the job like that is just stay calm, just use your technique and see what happens,” Heath said. “But you try not to be frantic.”
While Heath’s mad dash saved the day for the Cowboys against the Raiders, they anticipate Elliott saving the day and helping them quality for the playoffs.
In his last game back on Nov. 5, Elliott rushed for 93 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown during a 28-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cowboys expect him to be mentally and physically ready when they host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who love playing football, who love being part of his team and practicing the right way,” Lee said. “And we knew if we play the right way and we can get on a run, then having (Elliott) back is obviously very important.”
