Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys Offense Benefits from Darren McFadden's Return

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:07 p.m. ET

Fansided, Rebekkah Parsons/FanSided via The Landry Hat

With running back Darren McFad0den back on the roster, the Dallas Cowboys offense just got a little bit stronger especially with his versatility as a player.

The Dallas Cowboys played running back Darren McFadden for the first time all season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. But his first carry of the season would come while playing fullback. Did you think that would happen?

McFadden made his 2016 debut in the 26-20 win against the now 8-6 Buccaneers. He finished the day with three carries for 10 yards, including a third-down conversion on a 3-yard run as a fullback in the third quarter. Run DMC played a total of 12 offensive snaps and two special teams snaps.

McFadden is seen as a more versatile player than running back Alfred Morris. He does more on special teams, he’s the better pass blocker and he’s a better pass receiver. So when the Cowboys had McFadden and rookie starter Ezekiel Elliott on the field and in the backfield at the same time, it made sense. On third and one at the five-yard line, Darren gained three yards on a dive up the middle. Two plays later, Elliott scored.

After suffering a broken right elbow in the spring, McFadden was listed as a non-football injury for the first 14 weeks of the season.

The veteran back led the Cowboys in rushing last year with 1,089 yards, the fourth-best total in the NFL. While McFadden won’t see as much work with Elliott as the lead back, there’s possibilities of him opening up the offense a bit.

“We had [McFadden] in there not only as a fullback, but we had him back there with two backs — with Zeke and him,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones told ESPN.com. “And he gained a lot of his distinction when he came out of the draft because of the blocks he used to throw on special teams, kickoff returns, and springing Felix Jones loose. He just wrote a book on how to make the key block there.”

Morris is the odd back out in McFadden’s return. He was inactive for the first time in his career last week, but Darren catches the ball better and is able to contribute on special teams.

If played effectively, McFadden’s return could be a game changer for the Cowboys offense and could come when they need it most. With playoffs right around the corner, Dallas needs to pull out all the stops.