ARLINGTON, Texas — For the first time in his career, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott missed a game because of injury.
Elliott, who suffered a calf bruise in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 8, was among the Cowboys’ inactives for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. He did not practice during the week, but coach Mike McCarthy had said he expected Elliott to play.
With Elliott out, the Cowboys have Tony Pollard ready for an increased role. They have undrafted rookie Rico Dowdle as the backup and added Sewo Olonilua from the practice squad Saturday.
On Wednesday, Elliott said it took a couple of drives for his calf to loosen up against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 13, but once it did, he felt fine. He was limited to 48 yards on 12 carries and needed a season-high 26-yarder in the second half to reach that total.
Elliott was held out of two Week 17 matchups in 2016 and 2018 when the Cowboys had their playoff positioning wrapped up. He missed six games in 2017 because of a suspension.
This season has been a struggle for Elliott. He has 832 yards on 211 carries with five touchdowns, but he has lost a career-high five fumbles and has just one 100-yard game on the season. In the full seasons he’s played, he has never had fewer than 1,357 yards rushing. Entering Sunday, he was on pace for 1,024 yards.
