NEW YORK — A federal judge has cleared the way for the NFL to enforce a six-game suspension of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott over domestic violence allegations.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla on Monday denied the request for a preliminary injunction from players’ union attorneys working for Elliott.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys has lost his bid for a preliminary injunction that would have kept him on the field. Associated Press/Michael Ainsworth

It’s the second time a federal ruling has overturned a reprieve that kept Elliott on the field, and likely will lead to another effort for Elliott’s legal team to pursue other remedies.

Elliott attended the roughly two-hour hearing in New York on Monday, a day after rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 33-19 win at Washington.

BEARS: Tight end Zach Miller had surgery to save his left leg after he tore an artery while dislocating his knee during Sunday’s loss at New Orleans.

The team said the “urgent” operation Sunday to repair a torn popliteal artery was successful. Miller remains at University Medical Center New Orleans, with team medical personnel and his wife and father by his side, after suffering a career-threatening injury.

Coach John Fox said Monday a vein was taken from the right leg to fix his left one. He said the pulse in Miller’s lower leg was good and that he had feeling in his foot.

“Not that he’s out of the woods by any stretch but it’s as good as could be expected at this point,” Fox said.

Fox was unsure if Miller remains in jeopardy of losing his leg, though amputation appears unlikely because he received immediate attention.

“If you don’t have blood flow to the leg and it’s been more than eight hours, you can have a likelihood of having to amputate the leg as high as 80-plus percent,” said Dr. Alexis Colvin, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital.

“But in his (case), everything was very timely. Everyone saw it. The injury had immediate attention to it.”

She said it’s “almost a certainty” Miller has torn ligaments. But the blood vessel is the more immediate priority.

Doctors need to make sure the leg is getting the proper blood flow. Clotting is a concern, as is damage to the peroneal nerve – which provides sensation and motor function to the lower leg.

As for torn ligaments?

“It’s not a question of if he does, it’s a question of how many,” Colvin said.

• The NFL suspended injured Chicago Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman 10 games for violating the league’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs.

JETS: Running back Matt Forte says offensive coordinator John Morton was “very open-minded” when the two spoke about his comments Sunday in which he criticized the game plan.

Forte said Monday that he talked to both Morton and Coach Todd Bowles about ways to help the Jets win games.

After New York’s 25-20 loss to Atlanta, Forte said the Jets “strayed” from the game plan – which was to run the ball in the rainy conditions at MetLife Stadium.

RAVENS: Joe Flacco is recovering nicely from the concussion he received last week, and Coach John Harbaugh said “there’s a good chance” the quarterback will play Sunday at Tennessee. Flacco sustained a concussion and a gash that required stitches after absorbing a late, high hit from Miami linebacker Kiko Alonso in a 40-0 victory Thursday night.

TITANS: Corey Davis, the first wide receiver drafted this year, returned to practice after aggravating his hamstring Sept. 17 in a 37-16 win at Jacksonville.

LIONS: Detroit put guard Tim Lelito on injured reserve with a thigh problem and signed defensive end Jacquies Smith.

WASHINGTON: Tight end Jordan Reed and defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis are among the Washington players expected to miss its game at Seattle.

Related Stories