The Cowboys' refusal to play Dalvin Cook makes less sense after the viral Ezekiel Elliott clip

The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers were about to play on Sunday Night Football and found themselves in a long weather delay.

As lightning struck near Acrisure Stadium, the players were in the locker room and there was a brief shot of the Cowboys killing time. In this shot, Ezekiel Elliott was seen getting ready next to Dak Prescott and having trouble trying to put on his pads.

Zeke lifted his pads over his head before quickly dropping them again. He looked like he was struggling with shoulder pain.

Elliott was listed on the injury report before the game, but for dehydration, not a shoulder problem. So maybe the scene didn't tell the whole story. But if Zeke does indeed have a problem with his shoulder, the Cowboys' refusal to play Dalvin Cook is even more confusing.

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Cook, who has been on the practice squad since late August, has yet to be added to the active roster despite the team's on-field struggles. It seemed like he could make his debut this week, but instead the Cowboys enter the game with Deuce Vaughn inactive and without a backup.

So against Pittsburgh's strong defense, Dallas will face a potentially struggling Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Hunter Luepke. Cook may not be the long-term answer, but it felt like a game he should have been a part of.

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