Dallas Cowboys sending four players to the Pro Bowl that represent their true DNA
The Dallas Cowboys went back to their true DNA of a dominant run game led by running back Ezekiel Elliott and a star-studded offensive line in the 44-21 victory against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday.
And per Pro Bowl voters, it’s one they should have never forsaken.
The Cowboys landed four players on the initial 2019 Pro Bowl roster, announced by the NFL on Tuesday.
They were running back Ezekiel Elliott, tackle Tyron Smith, guard Zack Martin and center Travis Frederick as members of the NFC team.
The game will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and it will be played one week before Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, January 26, 2020.
Noticeably absent were quarterback Dak Prescott, who is second in the NFL in passing yards and third in touchdowns, and receiver Amari Cooper, who ranks eighth in the NFL with 1,073 receiving yards and is tied for fourth with eight touchdown catches.
But the selections of the offensive linemen and Elliott were no surprise.
Smith will be making his seventh overall and seventh consecutive trip to the game. His seven Pro Bowl selections give him more than any other Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle, surpassing Rayfield Wright (six).
Martin will be making his sixth overall and consecutive trip, tying him with John Niland and Nate Newton for the second-most appearances by a Cowboys guard behind Larry Allen’s nine.
After missing the entire 2018 season with Guillain-Barré syndrome, Frederick returned and earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection, tying him with Andre Gurode for the most by a Cowboys center.
Elliott is making his second straight trip to the Pro Bowl and third in four years.
The two-time NFL rushing champion is fifth in the NFL with 1,188 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Elliott ranks second in the NFL with six 100-yard rushing games in 2019, behind only the NFL rushing leader Nick Chubb (seven games) and tied with Christian McCaffrey and Chris Carson.
The newly minted 2019 Pro Bowlers were part of a 265-yard rushing effort against the Rams as the Cowboys regained their identity and established some momentum heading into Sunday’s showdown at the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East title.
There is a chance Prescott and Cooper could get into the game as alternates if the Cowboys don’t reach Super Bowl or as injury replacements.
The same is true for defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who saw his streak of two consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl stopped, and defensive end Robert Quinn, who leads the Cowboys with 9.5 sacks.
This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 8:26 PM.
