Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott run over 49ers

His season status remains in limbo

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Along with star-crossed running back Ezekiel Elliott, the Dallas Cowboys should give a game ball from Sunday’s 40-10 blowout victory against the winless San Francisco 49ers to Judge Paul Crotty.

It was Crotty, the senior judge in the Second District of New York, who gave Elliott a 14-day temporary restraining order on Tuesday. The ruling allowed Elliott to suit up against the 49ers after Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals had thrown out an earlier preliminary injunction, reinstating his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

A final resolution regarding Elliott’s playing status for the rest of the season could come Oct. 30 when Judge Katherine Failla rules on his request for preliminary injunction.

The NFL is hoping to have that hearing expedited before next Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.

All the Cowboys can do is control what they can control.

And with Elliott on the field against the 49ers, they controlled the ball and the game like the 2016 team that went 13-3 and won 11 consecutive games, not the disappointing bunch that entered Sunday’s game with a 2-3 mark coming off two consecutive losses. The Cowboys moved back to .500 at 3-3.

But that’s why getting Elliott back on the field following the bye was so important.

The 49ers are still winless. But they had been very competitive all season with five of the previous six losses by three points or less.

This one, however, was never in doubt as the Cowboys led 20-3 at halftime and then ran away with the win.

It was the team’s most dominant win since a 42-7 victory against the Colts in 2014.

Elliott looked like the NFL leading rusher he was a year ago. A now stable offensive line also looks like it’s ready to regain its title as one of the league’s best units.

Elliott rushed 26 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. It was the best rushing performance of his career. But it was his 72-yard scamper up the right sideline to the end zone on a screen pass that let everyone he was back in his groove.

Elliott’s dominance made life easy for quarterback Dak Prescott, who was already having a brilliant season despite the Cowboys’ early struggles.

Prescott completed 16 of 25 passes for 234 yards with three touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown.

It marked the third consecutive game for Prescott with three touchdown passes.