Ezekiel Elliott has been struggling with knee problems for weeks. As the running back grits his teeth, the Cowboys are thinking about resting their superstar.

Munich – Things are not going well for the Dallas Cowboys. First the bitter 33:36 after overtime against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thanksgiving, and now the worries about Ezekiel Elliott.

The running back has been struggling with knee problems for some time now, and the superstar has been regularly listed in the Injury Report for more than three weeks. The injury is not explained in any concrete way.

Ezekiel Elliott: IR list not yet an option

Now, according to “ESPN”, the Cowboys are apparently considering giving the 26-year-old some time off and resting him in their next game at the New Orleans Saints. Putting Elliott on the Injured Reserve list, however, is probably not an option at this point.

“It’s that time of year,” McCarthy said. “Zeke’s running style is brutal. He goes full throttle and takes some hits. We’ve got to evaluate that and this week we’ll see what the preparation looks like for him.” The Cowboys’ advantage: In Tony Pollard they would have a strong replacement, Pollard comes so far to 531 rushing yards and one touchdown, he also caught balls for 256 yards.

Fact: The Cowboys have lost three of their last four games, and in that time Elliott’s output has dropped – from 51 to 41 to 32 and now 25 rushing yards against the Raiders. After a strong start to the season, he currently stands at 720 yards and eight touchdowns.

Elliott comes out fighting

And what does Elliott say? He’s putting on a fighter’s face.

“That’s football,” he said. “You get injured. You’re not going to be 100 per cent fit. I’m a tough guy. I’m going to pull through this,” he said. That is, if the Cowboys let him.