The Dallas Cowboys are 5-3 and are riding a three-game win streak into Sunday's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, but were dealt a major blow today with news that Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension has been reinstated immediately. Here are all the latest news & rumors surrounding the Cowboys you need to know, including what Dallas plans to do without their star running back:
Jerry Jones threatened to sue NFL
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has voiced his support of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the past, but now, he is threatening a lawsuit against the league if Goodell is giving an extension, according to Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
NFL vice president Joe Lockhart confirmed on Thursday that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has threatened to sue the league in hopes of blocking a planned contract extension for commissioner Roger Goodell.
Lockhart said the threatened litigation is why Jones was removed from the compensation committee working on the Goodell extension.
The league expects a five-year extension for Goodell to be finalized "soon." After that, we'll see if Jones is willing to follow through on this threat.
"The owners voted unanimously to authorize the compensation committee to enter into negotiations and offer the commissioner an extension of his contract through 2024," Lockhart said. "... The 32-0 vote gives them the authority to enter into a contract extension."
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Cowboys plan to replace Ezekiel Elliott
With Elliott now gone for six games, Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden will be competing for his spot. Who will Dallas rely on to replace his production? Probably a combination of both, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.
[McFadden] hasn't been active the first five weeks so you'd think he'd be fresh and ready to make an immediate impact. He is a better blocker and receiver than Morris so it would make sense to have him on the field in passing situations. If Elliott is unable to play in San Francisco I'd lean towards Morris having more carries but I don't think it will be much more than McFadden. It could very well be that they allow both to run early and stick with the hot hand in the second half.
Morris has been Elliott's backup through the first five games of the season with McFadden being inactive for every game through the first eight games of the season.
As such, it appears that Morris will probably serve as the starter with McFadden serving as the third-down, pass-catching back. But both will see a good deal of time on the field.
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Dez Bryant a fantasy replacement for Elliott?
While Morris and McFadden will split carries in the backfield, they may not be the best answer for your fantasy team. That would be Dez Bryant, who would see a major increase in targets, according to the team's website.
Against a team like the Falcons, a lot of things change without Ezekiel Elliot. It might be unreasonable to expect the Cowboys to be able to control the time of possession, and it’s hard to see the Falcons not grabbing an early lead at home.
The game might require Dak Prescott’s arm for the Cowboys to steal a road victory. How he’ll perform is anybody’s guess, but Bryant is still the first guy he looks to when he needs a completion. He leads the team in targets by a considerable margin.
Bryant has 38 catches for 439 yards and four touchdowns so far this season.
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