In Week 2 of the NFL season the Denver Broncos are slated to face off against the Dallas Cowboys, led by super sophomores Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. The matchup between these two teams may start favoring Denver in the coming days.
It is looking more and more likely that Elliott will not be available to the Cowboys for the Week 2 contest. After being released from charges accusing the running back of domestic violence nearly a year ago, rumors are spreading that the league may still suspend Elliot for the accusations.
An ESPN report says that, if handed down, the suspension would be for the first two games of next season if the league carries through with disciplining Elliott. A two-game ban is a much lighter sentence than Elliott would have faced if he had actually been charged with the crime, as the minimum sentence for first time offenders of the NFL’s domestic violence policy is six games.
In his rookie season Elliott ran for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns to help lead the Dallas Cowboys to a NFC East division title and the playoffs. Elliott became the fourth rookie to lead the NFL in rushing, joining Earl Campbell (1978), Eric Dickerson (1983) and Edgerrin James (1999) with that honor.
The Broncos struggled against the run in 2016, ranking 28th in the league and allowing 130.3 yards per game. They allowed a season-high 238 yards in a Week 16 loss to Kansas City and five times allowed 150 yards or more on the ground.
Facing a Cowboys team without Elliott would be a far easier task for a Denver defense looking to rebound from a bad year defending the run.