I mentioned it because you said he “balled out”. Without that run, he would have had 4.1ypc and ~74 total yards which is far from “balling out”. I wanted to mention your hypocrisy since it was not only relevant to my point about him not “balling out” without his one long run but also because you were simultaneously arguing with someone else about how a certain RB’s stats would have been much lower without his one long run.
Potential negative plays? Lol, how many, 2 or 3? During the game even the announcers said he wasn’t getting touched until 3 or 4 yards after the LOS and they were referring to the O line creating huge holes for him.
He looked ok due to the room that was created for him on most plays as most starting RB’s in the league would look ok, many even better under similar circumstances. I know you’re used to zeke looking lackadaisical and getting his 3.9 ypc average for the year but 4.1 doesn’t mean he was “balling out”, it means people have become so used to him sucking hind teet that when he looks average they translate that to great.
What announcers said this? They were clearly watching a different game than I did..
I went through his carries for confirmation of what you have stated here..
Carry 1 - #75 beats Knight on an inside move and has Zeke for a 5 yard loss at the handoff.. Zeke shrugs him off, then dodges #54 who should have had Zeke for a 4 yard loss.. then finally #23 trips Zeke up for a 2 yard gain..
Carry 2 - The entire left side is pushed back two yards at the snap.. Unfortunately for us, we were running behind them.. The DT (looks like #78) grabs Zeke for a one yard loss.. only Zeke didn't get the memo and powers through him then the LB meets Zeke after a 2 yard gain.. he also gets shrugged off.. Finally the box safety makes the tackle for a 5 yard gain..
So far two carries.. hit in the backfield on both.. TFL on neither..
Carry 3 - best blocked play so far line at least gets a stalemate across the board.. #97 reaches out and grabs Zeke's left shoulder right at the line of scrimmage.. Zeke runs through the arm tackle.. #22 and #58 meet Zeke about 2 yards downfield.. Zeke drags both of them for 3 yards before #54 joins in and they finally get him down after a gain of 6.
Carry 4 - Draw play on 3rd and 4.. #91 and #97 pinch down on the middle run, Zeke squirts through but ends up about a foot short of the first down..
Carry 5 - 2nd and 1 - Zeke takes the handoff and starts left but Shultz loses inside leverage to #58 who closes down the hole where the play looks to have meant to go. Also #37 blitzes off the corner so Zeke has to cut it back to the right where Cooper is tied up with his man. #37 gets Zeke around the legs two yards deep in the backfield but Zeke still gets 2 yards and the first down.
Carry 6 - First and goal at the 9.. play starts right but it's a stalemate up front. Zeke jumpcuts back left.. creating a nice lane for himself.. He is not touched until #22 hits him at the 5 and he falls forward to the 3 ... but it had nothing to do with blocking..
Carry 7 - 2nd and goal at the 3.. Run up the gut.. #75 beats Williams inside and blows the play up.. he has Zeke dead to rights for a one yard loss.. But Zeke powers through him and plows ahead until #37 grabs him around the ankles at the 2 yard line as he is backing towards the goal line. He lunges backwards for the touchdown.. only the idiot refs don't see it and for whatever reason we don't challenge it..
Carry 8 - sweep left.. met by the pursuit after 2 yards.. Zeke spun away from two and dragged the other two another three yards.. Zeke for 5..
Carry 9 - Looks like run off tackle right.. The NT beats Looney and has Zeke for a 4 yard loss.. Again he is left standing there holding air as Zeke shakes him off.. #46 fills and has a shot at Zeke for a 2 yard loss.. He also gets overpowered and Zeke plows ahead where #58 is waiting at the line of scrimmage.. Zeke runs through him as well.. finally #93 and #59 bring him down for a gain of 4.
Carry 10 - First and goal at the 4.. middle run.. not much there.. line got stonewalled.. move the pile for 2.
Carry 11 - 3rd and goal at the 2.. play gets blown up by three eagles for a loss of one..
Carry 12 - well blocked run off tackle right. Zeke is not touched until #37 grabs him 7 yards downfield.. It was an arm tackle up high so Zeke runs right through it. This one looks like there might have been some meat left on the bone if Zeke presses the attack to the corner but his instincts to get north-south betrayed him there.. I t hink #37 was on a bad angle and if he hit the accelerator there he goes at least another 20 yards. Instead he pauses just enough to cut inside #37 which allows the pursuit to catch him from behind.. Still a nice 14 yard run but could have been 30..
Carry 13 - First and 10 Now we can see the o-line is starting to win.. At the snap they move the line of scrimmage three yards. Zeke runs right up the middle and is not touched until 6 yards.. falls forward for 3 more..
Carry 14 - 2nd and 1 short yardage defense .. everybody got blocked but #37.. who makes a TD saving tackle but Zeke gets 4 and a first down..
Carry 15 - First and 10 after Brown's INT.. Off tackle run right is blown up by #55 who pushes Steele into the backfield.. The penetration forces Zeke back inside where lots of green jerseys are waiting.. gain of 2.
Carry 16 -2nd and 8 - Middle run, #55 crashes down this time and grabs Zeke's legs right at the line of scrimmage.. Fall forward or 4.
Carry 17 - First and 10 after Hurts' fumble. Off tackle left.. Good kickouts by Knight and Schultz.. Zeke just has to beat #93 who is coming hard from the inside.. He gets ahold of Zeke's shirt at about two yards but that aint nearly enough and it doesn't even slow Zeke down. Zeke isn't touched again until #37 grabs him up high at about 12 yards.. He gets shaken off too and Zeke ends up tacking on 19 more before the pursuit gets there.
Carry 18 - First and 10 .. Eagles know we're trying to run out the clock and send everybody on the run blitz.. Too many guys for Zeke to beat.. He is met by three guys for a 2 yard loss.. battles his way back to the line of scrimmage..
Carry 19 - 2nd and 10.. off tackle right.. First contact at 3 yards, fall forward for 2 more.. Running in cover up mode at this point..
By my count that's what 3? plays where Zeke is not hit before he was 4 yards downfield. And one of those was because of a great cutback by him because the line had lost.
I had him hit in the backfield on 8 of 19 carries but only caught for a loss on two of them. I know the Zeke haters won't like having this illuminated to this degree.. but that's their problem not mine..