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Nine months ago, he was one of the worst contracts in the NFL. Ezekiel Elliott’s production hit an all-time low. The Dallas Cowboys running back was fumbling too much, and the pieces of powerfully explosive chunks that often fueled his “feed me” celebrations were fading away. Although he was only 25, something seemed remarkably wrong with his game.
But four games in 2021? The only thing that fades about Elliott is the memory of his hollow last season.
That’s what you need to take away from Sunday’s 36-28 win over the Carolina Panthers, which saw Elliott pull off an impressive defense for 143 yards and a touchdown on 20 rush attempts. This represents the most runs Elliott has had this season, with the offensive coaching staff continuing to manage their workload to keep him fresh and healthy throughout this year. Perhaps smartly, considering how Elliott and Dallas set a dominant running tone early on against the Panthers, creating an offensive balance that is not only difficult for opponents to deal with, but apparently improves with every game. .
As Panthers head coach Matt Rhule put it when asked about Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott: “Honestly, I think the story of the day is more than Zeke running the game. I think he had 10 carries for 49 yards at halftime, so he was averaging 4.9 yards per carry – and then in the second half, just a few of those carries. I think they had a really good plan. We have certainly loaded the box. We hit the corners a lot today. It was mostly yards after contact.
Not only did the Cowboys dismantle the best running defense in the NFL on Sunday – including running back Tony Pollard who ran for 67 yards – they did so with a version of Elliott that hasn’t been seen since 2019. And you might even need to take it further in one regard: his 47-yard rushing against the Panthers is his most explosive rushing game since his dominant rookie season in 2016. And his 143 total rushing yards are his. higher since 2018.
It’s been a while since Dallas saw this version of Elliott, a guy who looks faster, quicker, and more decisive – perhaps an indication that he really showed up at camp. training in the best shape of his professional career. He’s an offensive centerpiece that has grown stronger with every game this season after being primarily assigned as a tackle in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For Dallas, the magnitude of Elliott being this type of player all season cannot be overstated. This That’s why Elliott was signed for his six-year, $ 90 million extension in 2019, which remains remarkably rich among running backs. So much so that as soon as the ink dried on the deal, almost anyone who understood the positional economics of the NFL knew it would be next to impossible for Dallas to get his money’s worth. He is expected to either lead the league in rushing each season or become a deadly threat just yards from the fray akin to Marshall Faulk or LaDainian Tomlinson. Neither seemed likely, given the team were building to streamline the offense via Prescott.
Even with Dallas stacking up the passing game, Sunday was a prime example of when it looked best. The Cowboys were balanced and intimidating, with the offensive line and Elliott imposing their will, then Pollard providing a dynamic change of pace. Once that momentum was built, Prescott and the passing offense were free to separate Carolina against a defense that had taken it upon themselves to try and stop Elliott.
If that can be replicated, that’s what will ultimately make the Cowboys so difficult for opponents to deal with and make them the upgraded version of the NFC’s Cleveland Browns – capable of being dominant but with passing weapons and a quarterback – back to keep pace. a frantic pace, if that is necessary. And with that plethora of options, Dallas can get more creative with the staff as well, as he did when he put guard Connor McGovern in the back on Elliott’s touchdown on the goal line in the first. quarter.
“Defenses don’t know what personnel to put in place at the moment,” McGovern said. “They are moving everywhere. We are able to throw the ball where we need it. We can throw the ball. We have so many different options, guns all over the field. It’s hard to identify and lock ourselves into one thing.
“We’ve been saying this from the start – we’re deep in every position,” Elliott said. “We even have some injured guys right now. So just the ability for us to go out there and everyone play well, nobody has to take too much load, nobody has to put too much on themselves. All we have to do is play with each other and play for each other.
Rhule admitted that the Cowboys ‘versatility was a big issue for Carolina, explaining that part of the reason for the breakdowns in the Panthers’ formidable defense was repeatedly having to adapt to what they were doing well. That was basically it. Rhule also made it clear that it was Elliott and the racing game that tied him up, and that’s what should be the most unsettling for the rest of the NFC going forward.
After all, given the depth of the wide receiver and Prescott’s performance before his injury last season, his rise as a statistical pinball machine was expected. But the big unknown was whether the offensive line could stay healthy and whether Elliott still had the special spark that looked like a distant memory in 2020. Now it looks like Dallas has it all on offense. That’s enough to justify placing the Cowboys among the elites of the NFC – and maybe even enough to justify why Elliott is worth the contract that made him a constant target of criticism.
When asked if Sunday was the “Zeke” everyone knows, Prescott was clear in his assessment.
“One hundred percent,” he said. “Zeke was himself. It was just the defense that gave him the opportunity to go and establish himself. But for him, you just have to go out there and have the big races – to have a few of these long races. … It’s just good to see him out in the field, using his burst. I’m excited for him and happy for him.
Few will be happier than Cowboys owner Jerry Jones – or the bunch of fans who searched for this Elliott and wondered if he still existed, or if he could be worth the contract that looked like a big mistake. only a few months ago. Winning over the Panthers was a response with an exclamation mark: Elliott still has the ability to be special enough to make his paycheck worth it. For a Sunday, anyway. The kind of Sunday Dallas hadn’t seen in a long time.
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