Jerry Jones reveals ridiculous reason why Ezekiel Elliott was disciplined

Ezekiel Elliott was not the starting running back when the Dallas Cowboys took the field Sunday night vs. the Colts. Here’s why he didn’t get the call.

Entering Sunday night’s prime time clash with the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott had played in 97 regular-season contests and started each one of them. And he was the club’s starter in four postseason games as well.

But while the seven-year pro totaled a team-high 17 carries for 77 yards rushing and one score in the club’s resounding 54-19 victory, he was not in the starting lineup for Mike McCarthy’s club. So what happened?

Jerry Jones reveals why Ezekiel Elliott didn’t start for Cowboys

“Yeah, think there was a little issue he had with his coach and some discipline issues,” explained Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones (via Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). ”Being tardy for a meeting or a phone going off or something serious, relative to Zeke, but I won’t get into that, but I’m not giving out that punishment. I’d be a lot more lenient than that.

Tony Pollard was the club’s starter in the blowout win. He finished with a dozen carries for 91 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Dallas ran for 220 yards in the 35-point win. So no harm no foul?

“It’s a minor thing that you have with your meetings and your phones and things like that,” added Jones. “That was not a demotion as to the first one on the field. That had more to do with your phone going off at the wrong time, those types of things. Nothing of consequence. Be sure and mention that. No behavior issues.”

The Cowboys have now won three straight games since falling to the Packers in overtime. So a lesson learned by Elliott? It would be a big surprise if the talented performer doesn’t get the call as the starter this Sunday at home against the one-win Houston Texans.