At 3-3, the Dallas Cowboys is still very much alive in the NFC East race. The problem is that they have been so inconsistent on both sides of the ball that it is hard to believe they can make a legitimate run.

One thing that would help tremendously would be getting their running game on track. Entering Week 8, they are dead last in rushing with 463 yards on the ground. More than half of that is courtesy of Rico Dowdle, who has 246 yards on 56 attempts – an average of 4.2 per rush.

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Despite his performance, Dallas has given him fewer than 10 attempts in four of his six contests. Dowdle’s best performance was in Week 5 when he went for 87 yards on 20 carries, but they inexplicably limited him to five attempts in Week 6 while giving Ezekiel Elliott eight carries.

Zeke, who recently expressed frustration with his role, rewarded them with 17 yards on those carries. On the year, he has 38 attempts for 115 yards – and a career-low 3.0 per carry average. That’s why the fanbase has been asking for more Dowdle and less Elliott, which Mike McCarthy finally seems willing to do.

When I spoke to reporters in preparation for their Week 8 settlement with the San Francisco 49ersMcCarthy told Dowdle “need to touch the ball more.”

It is puzzling that it took McCarthy so long to come to this realization. While it’s fair to say that Dowdle isn’t an elite running back, he’s been the only one on this roster who has consistently looked like they belong in the NFL.

He’s not just a solid runner either. Dowdle has been good in the passing game with 131 yards and two touchdowns on 16 receptions.

In addition to putting the ball in Dowdle’s hands, the Cowboys ssee what Dalvin Cook has to offer. He was signed to the practice squad ahead of his regular season debut but has yet to be activated.

Instead, Dallas opted to go with Elliott and Deuce Vaughn – who has given them 20 yards on seven carries. Cook is not the player he once was, going 214 yards on 67 attempts for a 3.2 per attempt average in 2023 with the New York Jets. That’s still more productive than both Zeke and Vaughn.

The Cowboys don’t have the talent to be a feared rushing attack. But by making these small adjustments, they can at least be competent. And that would be a huge difference from the first six games.

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