FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys’ run game was a subject of much conjecture throughout the offseason, and through the first four weeks, it was exactly what most thought it would be—not very good.

With Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn as the top three backs (not even mentioning practice-squadder Dalvin Cook, either), that didn’t exactly inspire confidence moving forward. But after Dowdle’s 87 rushing yards from 20 attempts against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it appears that the run game finally has some life.

And going by head coach Mike McCarthy’s words, expect Dowdle to continue as the lead back against the Detroit Lions.

“Our approach for the game this week will probably be similar to last week,” McCarthy said.”

It is now crystal clear that Dowdle is Dallas’ starting running back, and if it wasn’t set in stone after the Steelers game, a look at the numbers between him and Zeke, along with McCarthy’s comments, might hammer it home.

Also clear: While 3-2 Dallas now owns the mark of the second-worst rushing offense in the NFL through five weeks (420 yards) and are also second-to-last at 3.5 yards per carry and tied for 31st in the league with only two rushing touchdowns, major changes simply are not planned.

That hasn’t stopped “news outlets” from “reporting” on a coming change. Oddly, a great deal of focus seems to be on starting rumors about plucking a running back off of the roster of the Carolina Panthers.

Radio station 105.3 The Fan wants to see a trade for Chuba Hubbard. CBS Sports forecasts a deal for Miles Sanders.

“Sanders,” CBS writes, “would at least give Dak Prescott more proven run support.”

Sanders once earned Pro Bowl honors with the Eagles in 2022 when he posted 1,269 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs. But at 27, is he better than Rico? Worth “probably a fifth-round pick,” as one outlet suggests? And who picks up the tab on that $7 million paycheck?

We bet Dallas says “no” on trading a fifth-round pick on the belief that Sanders can do substantially more here than Rico can.

Hubbard? He is the starting running back in Carolina, but he’s cheap – in the final year of a deal that pays him about $3.2 million this year. Is that worth a late-round rental? As Carolina eventually turns over the job to rehabbing prized rookie Jonathan Brooks, it might be viable to think the Panthers fire-sale Hubbard. But he makes 33 percent more than Dallas is paying Zeke, and three times what Dallas is paying Rico.

What does that tell us?

Aside from Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, Elliott hasn’t had more than six carries and 19 yards in a game. But Dowdle has had more than seven carries in his five games and has a combined 31 rushing attempts for 133 yards in his last two outings.

Overall, Dowdle has totaled 221 yards from 54 carries this season, compared to Elliott’s 98 yards from 30 attempts. Additionally, Dowdle has been going at a fair rate per clip, averaging over four yards a carry in the last month.

While Elliott hasn’t been “benched” as such, more so now being a role player, it’s likley Rico’s show going forward, and McCarthy just confirmed it. Which means Rico above Zeke and Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke and Dalvin – and probably Rico above Chuba and Miles, too.