Ezekiel Elliott’s NFL career had one of the best starts of any Cowboys player in recent memory.Although Elliott had a great rookie season in 2016, his production has declined every year since.Many Dallas fans, including owner Jerry Jones, continue to hold out hope for a return to the old Zeke.
Elliott visited the Cowboys’ rookie minicamp last week, where he worked out and sprinted at 22 mph.And just like that, here we go again.A new cycle of publicity for the Dallas Cowboys has begun.
We’ve heard this before with Elliot.A year ago, before training camp, reports from Dallas said Zeke was in the best shape of his life and had something to prove in the 2021 season.How did Elliott support all this hype?He rushed for 1,002 yards and averaged 58.9 yards per game, the lowest of his career.
The former NFL rushing champion played in every Cowboys game last season for the second time in his six-year career.Elliott has dealt with a partially torn PCL for most of the season.Elliott was reportedly injured in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers.While injuries may have contributed to Elliott’s poor season, it doesn’t tell the whole story.
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Another factor in Zeke’s bad year was the emergence of Tony Pollard as more than just a changing rhythm running back.Pollard’s rushing average jumped from 6.3 in 2020 to 8.7 last season.Subsequently, Elliott took fewer than two shots per game, in part due to a greater emphasis on passing by Pollard and Dallas.
The explosive power and consistent big play that Elliott once had is long gone.So while the Cowboys clearly wanted to believe Elliott was a great rusher, their return didn’t live up to expectations.How do you explain Pollard’s expanded role over the past two years?
Some might say Elliott was washed.If you compare his performance over the past two seasons to the extension he signed in 2019, it’s hard to argue otherwise.That was the last time Elliott played in the Pro Bowl.He rushed for 1,357 yards in all 16 games in 2019.Since then, dad time seems to be pulling on Zeke’s jersey when Zeke runs.No matter how well-built he is aesthetically, he’s noticeably lost a few steps on the court.
I just don’t take Elliott running at 22 mph at Cowboys rookie camp.He did it in shorts or sweatpants, with no defenders on the field and no pads.Sounds good, and I know it’s going to give the Cowboys National a hype this season, but that’s all in the clouds.Elliott is no longer an elite guard in the NFL, and the Cowboys have become a passing team that pays Dak Prescott.
I’m sure Elliott can still be a great rusher, but I doubt he’ll see another 1,200-yard rusher in a season.There are too many things to stop him from reaching that goal.The decline of Prescott, Pollard, Elliott himself, and the team’s offensive philosophy.Not to mention the decline of the offensive line over the past few years.Dallas fixed that in the draft, but we’ll have to wait until September to see how it turns out.
Here again, we’re peddling false hope to the masses with Jones’ team in preparation for the 2022 season.Jerry is great at selling dreams and doing it better than anyone in sports, and here it is again.I don’t want to leave Zeke out, but based on what Elliott has seen over the past two years, there’s no way he’s going to get back to where he was from 2016 to 2019.Once running backs fall, they tend to leave.
Post time: May-20-2022