The Dallas Cowboys (3-3) could be without their leading rusher Rico Dowdle on "Sunday Night Football" at the San Francisco 49ers (3-4) in Week 8. The team's public relations staff announced that he showed up to Levi's Stadium sick, and that he is being evaluated by the Cowboys medical staff to determine his availability. Dowdle was officially questionable to play in Week 8, but NFL Media reported that he will be ruled out and inactive.
He entered Week 8 as the leading rusher for a struggling Dallas ground game in 2024 with a team-high 246 rushing yards on a team-high 59 carries. Dowdle's 4.6 yards per carry rank as the second-most on the Cowboys behind All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb's 4.6 mark.
Upon arriving at the stadium, RB Rico Dowdle became sick. He is being evaluated by the team's medical staff, and his game status is now questionable.
— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) October 27, 2024
The Cowboys are averaging 77.2 rushing yards per game, the worst figure in the NFL, and that mark stands as Dallas' lowest through its first six games since 1989. That was the Cowboys' first season with Jerry Jones in charge as the team owner and general manager, and it the first season of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman's career. Dallas went 1-15 that year.
| Cowboys rush offense this season | NFL rank entering Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
Rush attempt/game | 22.2 | 30th |
Rush yards/game | 77.2 | Last |
Rush yards/attempt | 3.5 | Last |
Yards before contact/rush | 1.05 | 29th |
Yards after contact/rush | 2.44 | 29th |
| Tackles avoided on rushes | 20 | T-30th |
| First downs/rush | 22.6% | 25th |
Rush TD | 2 | Last |
| Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade | 61.8 | 21st |
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, who was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad to make his Cowboys debut in Week 9, could now receive a vast majority of the workload Sunday with Ezekiel Elliott and Hunter Luepke also gettting some touches. The 29-year-old now has a full understanding of Dallas' offense after signing with the team following the conclusion of training camp at the end of August.
"I think the biggest thing for us is we're taking the full week. Dalvin is ready [to play]," Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said on a conference call Friday. "I really like the work that he's putting in. I think he's clearly crossed over the threshold of the communication and the understanding [of the offense]."
