Since drafting Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have been in the playoffs twice in three years. And the main reason they haven’t been in the postseason all three years is due to Elliott as well. Specifically, his absence.
After a spectacular rookie season, where Elliott led the league in rushing with a career-high 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns, Zeke’s second-year was expected to be even better. But the possibility of a pending suspension due to a suspect domestic violence incident haunted the young rusher and the roster at the start of the 2017 season.