News: Three Reasons Ezekiel Elliott Will Bounce Back in 2021

[Sydla]

Just four (4) runs of 40+ yards in 1,413 career carries. Only one of those runs have come in the past four seasons.

Unbelievable.

He's a ground and pound RB at this point. We paid him like he was a game breaking/changing back.

I'd have zero problems with Elliott on the Cowboys if his cap hit was like $7-8 million a year and not $14 million which it will be this year (or more likely the Cowboys will double down on their idiocy and restructure him committing more future cap space). The difference between a cap of hit average annually of $8 million and $14 million is a quality S or 2nd CB or even quality veteran DT.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

So Zeke had a down year in 2020, behind an offensive line missing 1 starter the entire season and another missing all but 2 games, and wasn't that good even in those 2. Played a rookie at center for 6 games. Tackle replacements all undrafted free agents. Missing the starting quarterback most of the year. New head coach. No pre-season. Limited off season.

So take away 2020, it's an aberration of a year. What do you have left?

A running back who will be only 27 at season's start, who has had no major injuries, who knows the offense, who can block, has good size, has good speed. Two time rushing champion who also led the league in yards per game when he was suspended.

To think there's not even a possibility that he can't return to even 2019 form is just being unrealistic...

 

[Sydla]

Dumpster fire of a season for the offense...who got 2 quarterbacks killed because they couldn't hold a pocket...and all ya'll dumping on Zeke.

Good ol' zone. Almost as ridiculous as the ranch.

Zeke did not play well last year. And as the "star" TB who people claimed was a game changing back and an elite back, you can't just not blame him for a decent number of problems last year.

You guys love to have it both ways. When Elliott was up for a new contract and people were lamenting how dumb it would be to pay a TB that much money, guys were spewing things like how he's an elite back, he's arguably the most important hub in the offense, he makes the defense better because he churns up yards and clock, he makes the offense go........................ but once he starts to struggle suddenly the same peopple are saying, it's not fair to blame him, he didn't have his QB, his OL was banged up, how can you expect a TB to perform when there are issues around him, etc?

It's comical, frankly.

 

[Sydla]

if he is not a game changer anymore, that's not just fine with me.
That's way too much high investment for a guy to be just fine.

that's not why you take him No.4 overall ..and not why you made him among top highest paid RB in NFL.
We need him to be dynamic. we need him to be the fear factor that has defenses on pin-needles on every single play and down, anytime he touches
the ball per run per pass.

By fine I simply meant he'll probably be a good TB for us. But as you said, we are paying him to be an elite back and he's just not that right now.

 

[Plankton]

He needs to commit himself to being in top flight shape and improve his attention to detail - it was definitely lacking this past season. Elliott should be mad at the tape he put out last year, and if he's prideful, he will do what's necessary to prevent it from happening again. He likely won't be ripping off long runs, but he can certainly grind his way to a solid season.

 

[quickccc]

Here’s what I mean about Zeke’s workload going back to college. Since his Soph year at Ohio State, Zeke has had 2,271 touches. 1,654 of them in the NFL, where he has had the most combined touches the last 5 years.

In other words, he has had an enormous work load. And to Zeke’s credit, he has been incredibly durable. But the style of runner he is- a physical, punishing style takes a toll. Zeke reminds me somewhat of Earl Campbell. A physical runner who at one time also had breakaway speed, Earl was worn out after 5 years. Campbell’s first 5 years were dominant. In his last 4 he rushed for 1,000 yards one time, and was a shell of his former self.

Zeke isn’t done. But his days of being a breakaway, dominant type back are most likely over.

Imo, here's how I take it with ZKE now.
- Before i decide to give up and move on without him- i'd like to know that this team has did everything in their very power, in trying to recapture the old Zeke 2016 version,
and keeping him that way until his career is done here.

- I started trying to pinpoint at what point did we start noticing the loss of burst, and it was After his suspension year in 2017.
And before 2018 season started, I recall a quote from ex-RB coach Gary Brown saying "Zeke better get ready because he's gonna get quite a workload ".
and they did, ..and ZKE admitted during the season how sore he was. Linehan ran him into the ground, + gave him tons of touches in dump passes, and he
had an awful relief back in Rod Smith. and I noticed over how his frame was significantly bigger than when he came in as a rookie.

- My theory Garrett regime wanted to run him more so like a pounding workhorse- ala 90's Emmitt Smith dayz.
maybe they thought zeke could still sustain his burst while they bulked up his frame to better sustain the pounding toll they wanted to keep him at.

- If these Cowboys Strength Trainers have him trying to bulk up Even More in an effort to withstand more pounding, ..then we'll be going in reverse and futile failed way to
rebound him to that dangerous state again.

- If I hear that the trainers are trying to re-condition his frame with less bulk.. to more of an explosiveness and agility state, then i'll get encourage to hear we
i just dunno how offseason program is gonna work out with this continuing pandemic state.

 

[quickccc]

Here’s what I mean about Zeke’s workload going back to college. Since his Soph year at Ohio State, Zeke has had 2,271 touches. 1,654 of them in the NFL, where he has had the most combined touches the last 5 years.

In other words, he has had an enormous work load. And to Zeke’s credit, he has been incredibly durable. But the style of runner he is- a physical, punishing style takes a toll. Zeke reminds me somewhat of Earl Campbell. A physical runner who at one time also had breakaway speed, Earl was worn out after 5 years. Campbell’s first 5 years were dominant. In his last 4 he rushed for 1,000 yards one time, and was a shell of his former self.

Zeke isn’t done. But his days of being a breakaway, dominant type back are most likely over.

in comparisons, I never saw Zeke as Earl Campbell, even with ZKE's version as a punishing runner.
When I thought of zeke it was more about his ability to breakaway to homerun TD.
That was the big, out right clear difference between ZKE vs DeMarcus Murray (who still has Cowboys single season record vs Emmitt, Dorsett or ZKE)

I saw the 2016 ZKE version as more Adrian Peterson in running style and tools - in that he's not overly elusive, not a lot of juke moves in game, but both were one cut runners,
and presented the feared acceleration and breakaway home run burst on any given play that often and early.

In terms over workload over usage- this reminds me of Chiefs Larry Johnson and the pounding toll they made him take on before he was eventually on fumes
and end of a career.

 

[HungryLion]

Zeke did not play well last year. And as the "star" TB who people claimed was a game changing back and an elite back, you can't just not blame him for a decent number of problems last year.

You guys love to have it both ways. When Elliott was up for a new contract and people were lamenting how dumb it would be to pay a TB that much money, guys were spewing things like how he's an elite back, he's arguably the most important hub in the offense, he makes the defense better because he churns up yards and clock, he makes the offense go........................ but once he starts to struggle suddenly the same peopple are saying, it's not fair to blame him, he didn't have his QB, his OL was banged up, how can you expect a TB to perform when there are issues around him, etc?

It's comical, frankly.

I agree


And no matter how bad the OL was. Zeke cost the team 1-2 games alone just with his fumbling.


there is never an excuse for fumbling. I mean fumbles happen but he killed the team this past season with fumbles. Killed them

 

[Maxmadden]

I stopped reading after your first reason......
P.S. Here's some advice.....no running back can achieve their full potential when the defense does not fear your passing attack!
STOP Zeke win the game.....

Please, you stopped reading after the 5th grade.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

He's a ground and pound RB at this point. We paid him like he was a game breaking/changing back.

I'd have zero problems with Elliott on the Cowboys if his cap hit was like $7-8 million a year and not $14 million which it will be this year (or more likely the Cowboys will double down on their idiocy and restructure him committing more future cap space). The difference between a cap of hit average annually of $8 million and $14 million is a quality S or 2nd CB or even quality veteran DT.

That’s entirely it.

Zeke is a good player and worth having on the squad if money is no consideration.

Problem is money is a factor. We’re paying a glorified power back like a dynamic game-changing running back.

People that glibly overlooks is contract like “why you worried about another man’s money” are clueless. You have a finite amount of annual salary cap to spend. If you’re overpaying for a single resource (ie. a player) it impacts how you construct the other parts of the team.

 

[gjkoeppen]

3 Reasons Ezekiel Elliott Will Bounce Back in 2021

The 2020 season was a rough one for the Dallas Cowboys, and in particular for their top runner Ezekiel Elliott. His 979 yards were a career-low and it marked the first time he failed to reach 1,000 yards in a full season of action. He only had two 100-yard games, tied a career-high in fumbles (6), and his eight total touchdowns were the least he’s had in any season.

Elliott’s doubters now have plenty of ammunition to criticize the former two-time rushing champion. However, three factors could very well silence them and put Elliott’s name back at the top when people mention the best running backs in the NFL.

• The return of Dak Prescott
• A healthy offensive line
• Rebuilding his reputation

Read Full Story

Prescott will help the Cowboys period. Elliott on the other hand has had a decrease in production since his rookie year. It was a huge mistake to sign Elliott to the contract they gave him. He sat out down in Cabo acting like he was another Emmitt and he's was/is no Emmitt. The Cowboys should have let him sit down there until he came to his senses and reported. The Cowboys should have told themselves that until or if Elliott reverses his downward production that he's get no new contract. Elliott can blame the line last season but not for 2017, 2018 or 2019.

As far as rebuilding his reputation, that should have been started after the 2017 season
.
.

 

[Flamma]

Dumpster fire of a season for the offense...who got 2 quarterbacks killed because they couldn't hold a pocket...and all ya'll dumping on Zeke.

Good ol' zone. Almost as ridiculous as the ranch.

Zeke has been trash since he was paid after 2018. I've seen other running backs play at a high level regardless of their teams. Barry Sanders and Walter Peyton played on a lot of crap teams. The best Zeke can do is maybe sniff their jock straps. He's not even close. But he got paid, congrats. Dude is trash.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

No more passion for football more than anything.

i agree, he didn't come into the league like Emmitt did, wanting to be the best and the all time leading rusher. He seems to have come into it as a business and making that big money right off the bat. His heart is not into football like old 22. But then again, there aren't many like Smith. He will be rotating again with Pollard.

 

[Aviano90]

Dumpster fire of a season for the offense...who got 2 quarterbacks killed because they couldn't hold a pocket...and all ya'll dumping on Zeke.

Good ol' zone. Almost as ridiculous as the ranch.

Neither one of the QB injuries were the result of poor offensive line. Dak was injured on a designed QB run. Andy scrambled and got hit on what most believe was a dirty hit. I get the offensive line was bad, but those injuries aren't on them. Even on Dalton's scramble, the protection was pretty decent.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Zeke did not play well last year. And as the "star" TB who people claimed was a game changing back and an elite back, you can't just not blame him for a decent number of problems last year.

You guys love to have it both ways. When Elliott was up for a new contract and people were lamenting how dumb it would be to pay a TB that much money, guys were spewing things like how he's an elite back, he's arguably the most important hub in the offense, he makes the defense better because he churns up yards and clock, he makes the offense go........................ but once he starts to struggle suddenly the same peopple are saying, it's not fair to blame him, he didn't have his QB, his OL was banged up, how can you expect a TB to perform when there are issues around him, etc?

It's comical, frankly.

Oh here we go with the "you guys" thing. You put everyone in one bucket or the other? Asinine.

I am VERY WELL ON RECORD being disappointed with Zeke. Fumbling, missing blocks (or getting blasted). He SHARES every bit as much blame as anyone else.

"Shares".

You could have asked me first. But you just couldn't help yourself with the "you guys" BS.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Zeke has been trash since he was paid after 2018. I've seen other running backs play at a high level regardless of their teams. Barry Sanders and Walter Peyton played on a lot of crap teams. The best Zeke can do is maybe sniff their jock straps. He's not even close. But he got paid, congrats. Dude is trash.

That is bull. Detroit had good players. Not 3rd stringers.

Instead of hitting the hole or smashing the line like Emmitt did, he preferred cucaracha.

 

[aria]

I gather the same gist from every Zeke thread....

If the OL and passing game are elite, he has a shot to be an above average RB....if he wants it that is.

I'm sure he WANTS it....but is too immature to realize that he needs to work for it at this point in his life.

I promise this guy writes a book in 2030 about how he didn't care at all during this period and threw away what should have been a HOF career.

I could easily see him going to another team and then talking trash about the Cowboys. Sadly, I probably wouldn’t disagree but he’s also part of the reason why I would agree (which obviously he won’t mention).

 

[Sydla]

Oh here we go with the "you guys" thing. You put everyone in one bucket or the other? Asinine.

I am VERY WELL ON RECORD being disappointed with Zeke. Fumbling, missing blocks (or getting blasted). He SHARES every bit as much blame as anyone else.

"Shares".

You could have asked me first. But you just couldn't help yourself with the "you guys" BS.

And yet you got a bit perturbed when someone said that he wasn't was as good as he was in 2016 (I mean he isn't as good as he was in 2016, that's pretty obvious) and that they should cut him when it becomes financially advantageous to cut him (that's actually not a bad thought because if Elliott doesn't return to the form we saw earlier in his career, double digit cap hits for a TB of that caliber is bad business).

.

 

[bewp7]

tires dont re grow tread

jerry investing so much in zeke should make every cowboy fan very mad because of how stupid it was

 

[aria]

tires dont re grow tread

jerry investing so much in zeke should make every cowboy fan very mad because of how stupid it was

“Should”. About 75% of this board, if not more, were cheering and defending the contract, a few hold outs still are.