Is Ezekiel Elliott playing tonight? Cowboys RB's status revealed for TNF clash vs Giants

Ezekiel Elliott signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. After playing just one season for the New England Patriots, the 29-year-old returned to the team that drafted him.

Elliott has featured in all three of the Cowboys' games this season. He has rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. He also has five receptions for 31 yards on seven targets.

The Cowboys play the New York Giants on Thursday in what's a must-win game for them. Will Elliott play?

Take a look at the running back's status for Thursday Night Football.

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Will Ezekiel Elliott play in Week 4 vs the Giants?

Ezekiel Elliott is healthy and will be the Cowboys' RB2 behind Rico Dowdle in Thursday's game against the Giants.

The Cowboys are coming off a 28-25 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 and are 1-2 to start the season. After failing to sign a quality running back in free agency, the team's running game is struggling to no one's surprise.

Dallas is averaging just 73.7 rushing yards per game and 3.6 yards per attempt. That has made the job tough for Dak Prescott and has reduced CeeDee Lamb's impact.

Cowboys' RB1 Rico Dowdle has rushed for 88 yards on 23 carries, averaging 3.8 yards per carry in the first three games. Not one among the trio of Dowdle, Elliott and Deuce Vaughn has had a big game, and to beat the Giants, Dallas will likely have to rely on its passing game.

The Cowboys' defense, which has allowed an average of 29.7 points and 185.7 rushing yards per game this season, needs to step up and make a statement against the Giants. If the defense doesn't play well, the pressure will mount on Prescott.

It will be interesting to see how players like Micah Parsons, Elliott, Prescott and Lamb will respond to adversity playing in New York against a Giants team that defeated the Cleveland Browns 21-15 last week.