Cowboys’ Morris going home, Elliott hoping to break out

If the Dallas Cowboys have their way, Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins will be a nice homecoming for running back Alfred Morris, who played his first four years with the NFC East rivals, and a coming-out party for rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Both masters need to be served if the Cowboys hope to bounce back from the season-opening loss against the New York Giants and avoid an 0-2 start.

There is hope considering that Washington was run over and run down to the tune of 147 yards on the ground in a 38-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Cowboys’ inability to get things going on the ground, averaging only 3.4 yards per carry on 30 attempts against the Giants, was a huge disappointment and a big factor in the loss. Any plans the Cowboys had of having a successful season before quarterback Tony Romo’s back injury and with rookie Dak Prescott at the helm were based on a dominant ground game led by the Elliott.

Elliott, the fourth overall pick who had an admittedly average game against the Giants with only 51 yards in 20 carries, said he plans to learn from the experience.

“I’ve got a lot of things I can work on to get better,” Elliott said. “I’ve got to work on my patience as a runner. I’ve got to be more disciplined. I’ve got to focus in on the little things. I didn’t start where I wanted to start, but you’ve got to start somewhere. All I can do is focus on getting better every week and going out there and performing this weekend.”

Elliott wasn’t helped by an offensive line that didn’t get much movement. He had 14 carries of 3 yards or less and had a long of 8.

Elliott acknowledges that the time he missed in training camp and the preseason because of a hamstring strain set him back in his ability to gain chemistry with the line.

“I think I got to work on pressing my landmarks and being more patient,” Elliott said. “I think I got a little bit impatient. I’ve just got to realize that some games, you’re only going to get those 2, 3, 4 dirty-yard, dirty runs and you’re not always going to get those big, big hitters.”

In that respect, Elliott plans to lean a little more on the veteran Morris, whose hallmarks as a runner throughout his career has been patience and vision. Morris had 35 yards on seven carries against the Giants.

“I just appreciate the guy he is,” Elliott said. “He is always there. He is always critiquing my game. He is always looking to help me become a better player. Alfred is a very patient runner. He is always in the right spot. That is why he is always so successful.”

Morris rushed for 4,713 yards and 29 touchdowns in 64 consecutive starts from 2012-2015. Yet, the Redskins, who rushed for 55 yards in their opener, still let him walk in free agency.

“Honestly, I don’t know what happened,” Morris said. “I never really got a response. I feel like the way it played out, I knew I was gone. I just felt like they had a different plan, get a new general manager in there, a new coach. You’re not that coach’s guy. Nothing against them. That’s OK. I get that part of it. I just wasn’t part of the plan and that’s OK, like I said. I accepted that and I moved on.”

Morris said he holds no hard feelings and hopes he gets a good reception at FedEx Field on Sunday.

“I still have the opportunity to keep my dream alive and playing this game as long as I can,” Morris said. “It happened to be with a rival team with a different jersey. But at the same time, it’s still football.”

Does he expect to be booed?

“I don’t know,” Morris said. “Your guess is as good as mine. So this should be interesting. I’m expecting the worst and hoping for the best.”

Until then, Morris is going to help Elliott be at his best and be a little more patient.

“When we get in the meeting room, we will have a chit chat,” Morris said. “I will give him a run down on the ’Skins’ defense and to this point moving forward. Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to go, especially in your first game. I know in my first game I wanted to run for 1,000 yards. You always want to hit home runs every time. But sometimes you have to nickel and dime them before you get the big home run.”

This story was originally published September 14, 2016 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Cowboys’ Morris going home, Elliott hoping to break out."