Elliott's suspension should end Cowboys' already dim playoff hopes

The Dallas Cowboys are done.

Aaron Rodgers' epic last-minute comeback in Week 5 to steal victory away from the Cowboys was the body blow that sent Dallas reeling, and the reinstatement of Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension is the haymaker that will send them to the mat for good - even if takes a few more weeks for Jerry Jones' club to realize it's falling, dazed, and lifeless.

Yes, the Cowboys are more than just their star running back. Dak Prescott has been playing sensation football over the past three games following a slow start to his sophomore campaign and Demarcus Lawrence has emerged as a successor to DeMarcus Ware after years of searching for a new elite pass-rusher.

However, Lawrence is part of a defense that's given up 35 points in back-to-back games, both of which the Cowboys had a great shot of winning. It remains to be seen how Prescott handles the weight of the entire offensive workload as defenses focus solely on stopping him and the passing game.

Some may point to Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden and argue they're capable of solid production in Elliott's absence. But even if the Cowboys' vaunted offensive line was playing up to its usual standard, there's a reason why Morris has just eight carries in four games and McFadden has zero: neither is dynamic enough to warrant taking touches away from Elliott, and can't be expected to be difference-makers now.

So, Dallas sits at 2-3, gazing up in confusion at the 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles, trapped in a spiraling national anthem controversy which has been fueled, of course, by Jones' ego, and with a brutal six-game slate upcoming without their star player.

The 49ers may be winless, but they aren't your average 0-5 team. San Francisco has lost its last four games by a combined 11 points, and its last two defeats came in overtime. A signature win isn't far off for the 49ers.

After San Francisco, the Cowboys have four games that they likely wouldn't have been favored in even with Elliott available.

The Redskins played the Chiefs - the best team in football - close in Week 5; Kansas City's versatile and explosive offense should tear apart the Cowboys' secondary; the Falcons are a far cry from their 2016 form but are always strong at home; and the Eagles looked like the best team in the NFC in Thursday's win over the Carolina Panthers.

Simply put, the Cowboys will be lucky to be 5-6 when Elliott returns from his ban.

And in a conference that looks set to demand at least 10 wins for its wild-card spots - 13 of the NFC's 16 teams enter Week 6 with at least two wins and eight with at least three - it will be a hole even Elliott won't be able to dig Dallas out of.

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