As the Dallas Cowboys prepare to host the Oakland Raiders – and sportsbook users prepare to bet on the NFL preseason – head coach Jason Garrett was reported to be undecided as to whether to play running back Ezekiel Elliott. Supposedly Elliott’s suspension is not a factor, but since he has not played in the preseason yet and is going to miss the first six games of the regular season, why change now?
Jason Garrett still hasn't decided if Zeke will play against the Raiders. If he does it will be 8-10 snaps. Says suspension not a factor
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) August 22, 2017
- Date: Saturday, 26th August
- Time: 8:05 PM
- Venue: AT&T Stadium
NFL Preseason Odds:
Raiders +3 (EV) 44 (-110)
Cowboys -3 (-120) 44 (-110)
This is the way the preseason ends, not with a bang but a whimper
Even if Zeke were to see action against the Raiders, it would be in the vicinity of 8-12 snaps. “There are plenty of running backs in the league that don’t play that much in the preseason,” Garrett said per NFL.com. Not all of them are accused of domestic violence. In fact, most aren’t. But still, it’s a valid point nonetheless. The Cowboys do have Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris to share the brunt of the running game. They also have center Joe Looney, who according to the team’s official website does a mean Ezekiel Elliott impression. And by ‘mean’ we mean that it is spot-on – aside from the 100-pound difference, that is. We don’t mean ‘mean’ as in ‘hostile,’ ‘vicious,’ or ‘bad-tempered’ by any means. And now for something completely different; Dallas’ other rookie sensation, Dak Prescott, says he will not Fairweather Johnson his second season compared to his first’s Cracked Rear View. In lay terms, he is determined to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. As most starting quarterbacks, Prescott is expected to see the most preseason action in the pivotal third game, this Saturday against the Raiders.
A preview for fans who bet on the NFL preseason
Speaking of the all-important third preseason games, the Raiders will not be able – for the second straight year – to deploy a type of gameplay resembling anything we might see from them during the regular season because, for the second year in a row, they will be playing against a regular season opponent. Last year it was the Titans, this year it will be the Cowboys – whom the Raiders are scheduled to meet in week 15. “It’s like man can we get someone else? So we can run some stuff?,” Oakland quarterback Derek Carr said. “You go into a game against Dallas, they’re gonna be basic, we’re gonna be basic cuz you play each other in the regular season. You go out there, you compete your tail off, you try to win… but at the same time you’re more focused on playing them in the regular season, than you are in the preseason.” Speaking of Carr, he threw for 100 yards on 7-of-9 passing with two touchdowns and one interception and had a 13.0 quarterback rating in his first preseason action against the LA Rams in a 21-24 loss on Saturday.