With Tony Pollard inactive for Bears game, it will be a full load for Ezekiel Elliott
It will be a full load for Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott tonight against the Chicago Bears.
Backup running back Tony Pollard was scratched from the lineup after going through a pre-game rehab and realizing he couldn’t go on the gimpy ankle he injured earlier this week in practice.
Also named inactive were for the Bears game were linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (neck), safety Jeff Heath (shoulders), nose tackle Antwaun Woods (knee), receiver Devin Smith, defensive end Joe Jackson and offensive guard Caleb Benenoch.With Pollard inactive, look for receiver Cedrick Wilson to return kickoffs.
But it also means that Elliott is the lone running back available for the must-win game for a struggling Cowboys team that has lost two straight and six of their last nine.
The Cowboys (6-6) lead the NFC East by one game over the Philadelphia Eagles (5-7) with four games left in the season.
Fullback Jamize Olawale would fill in as the emergency running back if something happened to Elliott.
But outside of that, Elliott will get the full load as a primary runner in the regular offense and on passing downs. Elliott needs 10 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in four years. But he is also on pace for the fewest carries of his career and coming four straight games under 100 yards for the first time in his career.He should get plenty chances to change those trends Thursday night.
