Falcons could face Morris, McFadden
ATLANTA — The Dallas Cowboys’ enviable running back depth will be tested, as will their threegame winning streak, when they face the Atlanta Falcons today without Ezekiel Elliott.
The second-leading rusher in the NFL is set to begin a six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence. On Thursday, a federal appeals court in New York City denied his request to extend a hold on the league-issued suspension.
The Cowboys (5-3), 2 1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia in the NFC East, will attempt to maintain momentum without Elliott. It’s a huge loss, but Dallas has proven backups, including former 1,000yard rushers Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden. Rod Smith, a big third-year back, is another option.
McFadden flourished in 2015, when he rushed for 1,089 yards for Dallas. While with Washington, Morris had three straight 1,000-yard seasons (2012-14), and he has played in seven games as a backup to Elliott this season while McFadden has been inactive.
Replacing Elliott won’t be easy. He led the NFL with 1,631 yards rushing as a rookie in 2016 and already has 783 yards with seven touchdowns this season.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn expects no big changes in the Dallas offense.
“I don’t think the scheme would change, because the style of what they do is pretty clear,” Quinn said. “Alfred and McFadden are certainly backs who have proven themselves in our league.”
Atlanta has enough to worry about in its own ranks. The Falcons have lost four of five, and they have scored no more than 17 points in any of the losses. However, Dallas coach Jason Garrett said he still sees the talent that took Atlanta to last season’s Super Bowl.
“They’ve got a big-time quarterback,” Garrett said. “They’ve got two big-time running backs. They’ve got good tight ends. They’ve got playmakers all over the place at receiver. … They’ve got a lot of weapons. They know how to use them. They challenge you a lot of different ways.”