The Dallas Cowboys simply cannot have one normal week. As if they didn't create enough headlines during the bye, running back Rico Dowdle was a surprise late scratch for Sunday Night Football.
Dowdle practiced in full all week but the Cowboys announced he came down with an illness upon arriving at Levi's Stadium. He was quickly ruled out after further evaluation, which paved the way for Ezekiel Elliott to make his first start since the season-opener.
Dowdle's sudden illness caught Cowboys fans by surprise. It didn't take long at all for a conspiracy theory to spread on social media like wildfire.
Hesitant to believe Dowdle came down with the flu, a large contingent of Cowboys Nation was convinced the team staged Dowdle's illness so as to prevent the humiliation of making Ezekiel Elliott a healthy scratch.
It's a scathing accusation and Dowdle shut it down after the game, telling Sports Day DFW that he woke up with a high fever on Sunday and that his symptoms worsened closer to kickoff even after taking medicine, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.
Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle shuts down Ezekiel Elliott conspiracy theory
That settles that.
It was a fanatical theory all things considered. However, it grew legs after pregame footage showed Dowdle signing autographs.
Not only that but Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noticed Dowdle in good spirits - and seemingly good health - singing along to his pregame playlist.
Does a player who is too sick to play usually come out onto the field early to sign autographs? Definitely not. Basic health regulations state Dowdle should not have had contact with fans. He probably shouldn't have been exposed to the Santa Clara air, either. Why was someone with a 102.4 fever allowed on the sideline?
This was the mindset of Cowboys fans in the build-up to kickoff.
Even in the aftermath, it is a pathetic state of affairs that most of the Cowboys universe believed Dowdle's illness was a play by the franchise to keep them from deactivating Elliott. Make no mistake: Elliott would have been the odd man out in the backfield if Dowdle suited up.
Elliott actually ran well in the first half and scored a touchdown in the second quarter to give the Cowboys a 7-3 lead. However, it was another inefficient night for Zeke. While he led the team in rushing, he finished with 34 rushing yards on 10 attempts.
While it is easy understand why Cowboys Nation was so quick to question Dowdle's sudden illness, that Dowdle admitted to battling a high fever should put this conversation to rest.
Let's hope Dowdle gets healthy to play in Week 9 because Sunday proved Dallas can't run the ball effectively without him.
