Two big pieces of news hit the NFL landscape as Halloween eve turned to Halloween — Dallas Cowboys' running back Ezekiel Elliott saw his latest attempt to block his suspension denied and the Philadelphia Eagles acquired Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi via trade. What does that mean for the NFC East?
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COMPARE: Jay Ajayi vs. Ezekiel Elliott
Put simply, the Eagles will win the division.
First off, the Cowboys lost arguably the best pure running back in the league. Yeah, there are running backs who are more dynamic than Elliott, but as a pure runner, there's not much better in the league right now.
Elliott had requested a preliminary injunction hearing, but that request was denied by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla. This doesn't yet mean Elliott is going to begin serving his 6-game suspension this week, but we're getting closer.
Per ESPN, "Elliott and the NFLPA have the option of appealing the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, and could seek a stay that would allow him to continue to play while the appeal process plays out."
To summarize: Ezekiel Elliott is facing suspension in 24 hours, but this is not over yet. Is it ever?
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2017
While we wait to see if Zeke's suspension begins this week (or next…or the week after), the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles made a move to cement their status atop the East, trading a fourth-round pick for the No. 13 runner in the league as the stats stand now.
As ESPN's Adam Schefter noted, the running back swing in the NFC East took place in a matter of hours.
So in a 12-hour stretch, Eagles add Jay Ajayi and Cowboys lose Ezekiel Elliott.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2017
Now, the Eagles add a shifty back to the backfield to pair with LeGarrette Blount and add to the NFL's fourth-leading rushing game.
That's right, Philly added a top-15 back to a top-5 rushing attack. Here's a look at the Eagles' backfield production moving forward:
| Player | Att. | Yds. | Yds/Att. | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeGarrette Blount | 100 | 467 | 4.7 | 2 |
| Jay Ajayi | 138 | 465 | 3.4 | 0 |
| Wendell Smallwood | 38 | 143 | 3.8 | 1 |
| Corey Clement | 36 | 131 | 3.6 | 1 |
Add in 42 carries for 203 yards for quarterback Carson Wentz, and the Eagles just got a lot scarier on offense — and that's without mentioning the passing game's step forward this season.
Assuming Ezekiel Elliott serves at least some of his suspension this season, the Eagles are in prime position to run away with the division. Philly already leads the Cowboys by multiple games in the division with a 7-1 record (Cowboys are second with a 4-3 record).
The Cowboys — or the 3-4 Washington Redskins — were already going to have a time taking the lead away from the Eagles. Now, without Elliott on board and facing an even scarier Eagles' offense, that slim chance just tanked even further.
The Philadelphia Eagles move to add Ajayi, coupled with Elliott's suspension, just decided the division.
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