No team in the NFL is worse on the ground than the Dallas Cowboys. No, seriously. Entering action on Sunday, the Cowboys rank last in the NFL, averaging 77.2 rushing yards per game. Their offense has underperformed to begin the year, and the lack of a ground attack is a big reason for that.

For whatever reason, instead of pursuing a reliable option at a position like Derek Henry, Josh Jacobs or even Tony Pollard, the Cowboys opted to bring Ezekiel Elliott back to Dallas. Yes, the same Ezekiel Elliott who struggled so much that he was released by the Cowboys after the 2022 campaign. He was named the team’s RB1 and the results were what most NFL fans expected.

Elliott’s predictable struggles saw 26-year-old Rico Dowdle take over the reins of the team. He wasn’t great, but he’s a definite upgrade over Elliott. There’s no arguing that he’s the best option in their backroom right now.

That unfortunate fact is why the news that Dowdle fell ill upon arriving at Levi’s Stadium prior to Dallas’ Week 8 game against the San Francisco 49ers is such frustrating news. He’s questionable to play now, and even if he does, there’s a good chance he won’t have the full workload.

With Dowdle’s availability in question and Elliott buried on the depth chart, there’s a good chance Dalvin Cook’s Cowboys debut will involve a lot of significant work.

It was reported that Cook would be active for their Week 8 game in San Francisco, but how much he would play remained to be seen. He had spent the season on Dallas’ practice squad but had not seen a single game with the Cowboys.

With the news that Dowdle is now questionable, it feels like there is a very good chance that Cook will not only see some action, but also lead the team in carries. Now that it’s 2024, the thought of Cook getting a ton of playing time on a Cowboys team trying to fight for their playoff lives isn’t great.

Once upon a time, Ezekiel Elliott was one of the best running backs in the NFL, but then again, it’s 2024. Cook hasn’t been a star for a while.

Last season he played in 15 games with the New York Jets operating as their No. 2 behind Breece Hall. He averaged just 3.2 yards per carry on 67 attempts leading to his eventual release. He would finish the season with the Baltimore Ravens, but spend most of his time on the sidelines.

Cook may be getting an offensive line upgrade from New York to Dallas, but does anyone really expect the 29-year-old to be better than what he has now, which is already the worst in the sport?

Ultimately, this all falls on Jerry Jones for his strange refusal to add a legitimate option to operate out of the backfield. Trying something new while what they’ve used this season sounds good in theory, and Cook with the resume he has makes him exciting, but it’s hard to expect much here. In fact, it would be surprising if it wasn’t more of the same.