Ezekiel Elliott didn’t get the start during the Cowboys’ blowout “Sunday Night Football” victory over the Colts – and the reason was not because Tony Pollard is better than him.
Pollard got the “start” for Dallas, being the first back on the field on their first series – and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the game that the reason was due to a “disciplinary issue” involving Elliott, according to Yahoo Sports.
When pressed about exactly what the disciplinary issue was, Jones said it was not a major problem but a “phone going off in meeting type of issue,” per Yahoo. Jones also said it was not a demotion.
Followed up with Jerry for more context here. No off-field behavior or major issues per Jerry. Phone going off in meeting type of issue, he said. Jerry also emphasized this is “not a demotion”
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) December 5, 2022
The issue had to have been minor, because while Pollard got the start and was the first running back on the field, Elliott ended up playing more snaps than him (38 to 28) and had more carries (17 to 12). As has become customary, Pollard did more with those carries, tallying 91 yards on 12 rushes while Elliott only had 77 yards on 17 attempts.
Calls from both Dallas fans and the fantasy football community have grown for Pollard – the more explosive runner who offers a big play ability Elliott does not – to start touching the ball more. It had actually been happening over the past couple of weeks, with Pollard out-snapping and out-touching Elliott in Weeks 11 and 12, as the latter worked his way back from a knee injury.
Jones, for his part, has always pushed back against any running back controversy, saying there was “no argument” to bench Elliott.
Weirdly, in this game, where Elliott was being “disciplined,” he got his most touches (20) in a game since Week 5, and his third most of the entire season in 10 games.
Perhaps it had to do with the game script, as Dallas dominated in the fourth quarter and Elliott’s touchdown run came with six minutes left in the game and Dallas already up 40-19. Still, every day in Jerry World is an unpredictable one.
