Will Dalvin Cook play for Cowboys vs 49ers Week 8?

The Dallas Cowboys roster is full of problems that need fixing and owner Jerry Jones is adamant that the solution lies in the players themselves. He’s said that rather than looking to make trades, the Cowboys will be looking to the players already on the squad to step up and do better.

Well, one of their biggest issues lies in their dreadful run game. Through six games, Dallas ranks last in the NFL in total rushing yards (463) and yards per carry (3.5). That’s why for weeks fans have been calling on Jones to activate veteran running back Dalvin Cook from the practice squad and give him a shot. At the very least, he can’t be much worse than what they’ve got going on right now. But week after week, Jones has insisted now’s not the time and asked us to have the same blind trust in the current backfield that he claims to have.

That backfield consists of Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, and fullback Hunter Luepke. Dowdle (-0.31) and Elliott (-1.41) are both averaging fewer yards than expected per carry this season, and the Cowboys have deactivated Deuce Vaughn in the last two games.

Now they’re on their bye week...could Week 8 finally be the time the Cowboys activate Cook and give him a chance?

Cowboys could finally activate RB Dalvin Cook

No one is expecting Dalvin Cook to be a major game changer for the Cowboys, but as they’ve refused to do anything else to make a change, he seems like the best option. The 29-year-old veteran didn’t have his best season last year with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, but he’s ready to prove he’s still got it in him. Whether or not he’ll get the chance to do so this season remains to be seen, but offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer provided some optimism on Tuesday.

“He’s getting more and more comfortable,” Schottenheimer said. “Now it’s just trying to find a way of how it fits the puzzle, and how it fits. And again, that’s not just an offensive question, right? That’s a defense, that’s a special teams [question].”

“He is doing a really good job with the things we’re asking him to do,” Schottenheimer went on, “If the puzzle fits correctly, he’ll be ready when called upon.”

In other words, what moves will the Cowboys need to make in order to move Cook to the active roster? The NFL rules allow for teams to have 48 active players on game days and only two practice squad members can suit up. In their last two games, the Cowboys used those practice squad spots for defensive positions that are currently riddled with injuries. The Cowboys’ running backs may be bad, but they’re not injured, so it may not happen this year. Still, it’s not for lack of confidence from the coaching staff, as running backs coach and run game coordinator Jeff Blasko had positive things to say about Cook as well.

“Coming in here, learning the new system, he’s done a phenomenal job with that piece of it,” Blasko said. “He’s come out here and worked his tail off every day. He’s done a great job in the show team periods. We’ve integrated him some into the good-on-good periods as well. You know, he’s done a good job. It’s still one day at a time, but you know, he’s everything that we thought he was coming in.”

The Cowboys have this week to rest and reflect about what they did wrong in their recent blowout loss to the Detroit Lions before facing a tough San Francisco 49ers team in a crucial Sunday Night Football game in Week 8 on October 27.