Elliott: Cowboys' run game will get on track after 'growing pains'

Three games into the 2017 season, we've only seen glimpses of the dominant ground game that carried the Dallas Cowboys to an NFC East title in 2016.

Ezekiel Elliott was stuffed by the Denver Broncos in Week 2, rushing for just 8 yards on nine attempts. And while the star running back had 184 yards in Weeks 1 and 3 combined, he's scored just one touchdown as the Cowboys' offensive line has struggled to open up the same holes it did in 2016 with two news starters - La'el Collins at right tackle and Chaz Green at left guard.

"We've had a little bit of growing pains in the first couple of games, but we're getting there," Elliott said, according to ESPN's Todd Archer. "We're getting into our rhythm."

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan attributes the lackluster production from Elliott to defenses recognizing and matching the Cowboys' desire to establish the run.

"When people commit to playing the run, that's the respect they have for our run game, No. 1," Linehan said. "No. 2, they watch the tape on us all offseason. They said, 'Hey listen, they're pretty hard-headed about running the football, Dallas. That's something they're committed to.' So they're equally as committed to trying to stop it."

Elliott believes the offense can do a better job of putting the ground game in a position to succeed by avoiding penalties. Dallas is tied for second in the league in false-start penalties (6) and is second in offsides penalties (4), according to The Football Database.

"We've just got to do a better job of executing on first and second down," Elliott said. "That's kind of where we've been shooting ourselves in the foot. We've had a lot of penalties early so we find ourselves behind the chains, and that's to the defense's advantage, and we're used to being more comfortable when we get 3, 4 yards on first down then another 4 or 5 on second down so we can convert on shorter third downs rather than being in third-and-long."

Elliott has a chance to break out Sunday thanks to a Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams and their 29th-ranked run defense.

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