Zeke is going to have a monster, MVP type season!

CATCH17 · Jun 4, 2020

I wonder if he’s even in shape.

fivetwos · Jun 4, 2020

quickccc said:
Zeke actually does seem to have a weakness now, IMO, ,.. he is no longer explosive and a legit home run threat,.. no longer do teams need to fear a single hand off of quick screen pass and ZKE and instantly hitting fifth gear to a 60 yard TD.

those are the kind of backs that defensive coordinators fear the most .. when we play Sasquon Barkley he keeps us n egg shells with every single carry or touch he gets.

Zeke does not have elite elusiveness and feet.such as Barry sanders, thurman thomas , marshall faulk Ladanian Thomplison, Jamal Charles...or even Saquon Barkley, those are start-stop-and re-start type backs, multiple cut backs.

Zeke is not gonna make a lot of one on one dazzling whiff misses in the open field.
But with his natural instincts and one cut style and build up burst (once upon a time) he didn't have to be a multi-cut, highly elusive runner.

Eric Dickerson was also a one cut runner ,,..Adrian Peterson is a one cut runner.
Neither were highly one on one elusive either, but both were instant home run splash runners, Both scared the hell outta of you when going against him, because you could not afford to lose containment for an instant because they would zoom it to a 50-60 yd TD run .
Some can point to the number of 10 and 20 yard runs,but i don't consider ta threatening home run hitter- a tall tale is more how many 40+ big runs has zeke had.

Something simply happened to zeke prior to 2018, because he seem to become more bell cow grinder pounder... and less of the instant feared splash runner that entered the NFL and took the world by storm n 2016.

He is still an "angry" runner. the violent power, the leg drive, punishes tacklers moving forward - and several defenders have said that zeke " punishes' you, he puts pounding upon you and can wear you down. And what some overlook is how zeke not only has a great knack for the goal line but many times he just overpowers and carries multiple defenders with his strength and awesome leg drive.

But i would not think after just 4 years and averaging 20.4 carries per his career, ZKE body would already be wearing down from his own pounding.
Otherwise that's gonna be a Chris Johnson like early career and soon average player ending.

He isnt wearing down.

He is fat, lazy and selfish. Demanded his pay day and got it, and has a me first team second attitude.

Having a party is way more important to this guy than football.

Williamsboys · Jun 4, 2020

I will continue to watch the Three players that got their big contracts to see if they continue to improve or their stats falter, Zeke, Coop and Lawrence.

JoeKing · Jun 4, 2020

Rockport said:
I think his holdout really hurt his performance last year especially early on in the season. He’ll have a full training camp this year so I’m expecting a better performance from him.

He still won't perform up to the level of his paycheck. I don't see him doing any better than last season. He is a good RB but he's being paid to be elite and that's just not Zeke anymore.

Rockport · Jun 4, 2020

JoeKing said:
He still won't perform up to the level of his paycheck. I don't see him doing any better than last season. He is a good RB but he's being paid to be elite and that's just not Zeke anymore.

He certainly needs to get his *** in gear. We'll see if he can.

fivetwos · Jun 4, 2020

I sincerely HOPE that when 21 pulls his tap out crap, or is ineffective on a certain day, that MM just goes with Pollard in the main role.

Would send quite the message to some other complacent folks on this team, and would be a great thing overall.

The big question at that point is obvious....and if Jerry steps in and sides with his 90M man, this is all fairly pointless until he is in a box, possibly longer, depending on how stubborn and ignorant the kid is capable of being when he is really running things.

I feel great about the upcoming season, but the big question no one can answer is to what degree is Jerry going to allow the HC to do his job.

StuckMojo · Jun 4, 2020

CowboyRoy said:
Zeke had his best season of his career his rookie year and who won rookie of the year? Dak.

Doesn’t mean Dak was better that year. Zeke should have been.

CowboyRoy · Jun 4, 2020

StuckMojo said:
Doesn’t mean Dak was better that year. Zeke should have been.

Point was even in Zekes best year and Dak's rookie, Dak was voted better. Now 4 years later, Zeke will be hard pressed to do that again and Dak has gotten better.

JD_KaPow · Jun 4, 2020

Cowboyny said:
Zeke is the most balance RB in the entire league, he doesn't have a weakness on the field, but he has been vastly underused as a receiver by the former coaching staff. We have seen what he can do in space and he is deadly on screens passes. MM and is WCO will incorporate Zeke far more in the team's passing game. We are going to finally see the Zeke Elliot at his full potential. He has a LaDanian Tomlinson type of ceiling as an all-around back. The return of the zbs and a new RB coach who oversaw Gurley's success in it, will only help Zeke get better. In my opinion, he is going to have a monster season!!

I don't know how you can look around a league that has the likes of Christian McCaffrey in it and call Zeke the "most balanced RB." He's been a mediocre receiver throughout his time in Dallas: a handful of big plays on screen passes doesn't change that. Sure, you can argue that they misused him and there's an incredible McCaffrey-esque receiver to be unleashed there, but I won't believe it until I see it on the field.

Zeke is really good at what he is: he's a durable, powerful runner who almost never gets stuffed, and by all accounts a solid pass-protector. But he hasn't been explosive (meaning breakaway runs) in a while and there's no real evidence that he's an elite receiving threat among RBs.

buybuydandavis · Jun 4, 2020

MyFairLady said:
Zeke is not the back he used to be. I was shocked how good he was early in his career. I felt he could have been the best football player on the planet. He is still a solid NFL player but not nearly as explosive. Love having him on the team but as the 4th overall pick and now the second highest paid RB in the NFL he is no longer a net positive. I do not expect his game to ever improve. All we can do now is continue to watch the decline and hope that it is slow.

Zeke was best in his rookie year. It seems like a slow glide path ever since. Still very good, but as you say, just not as explosive.

Some video reviewer argued that he's just not getting the holes he had in 2016. Probably true. Holes were huge and sometimes he'd go through the box untouched. But this argues toward the oline being elite in 2016, not Zeke.

He seemed to explode through holes in 2016. Haven't seen that in a while. He also seems to give up on turning the corner.

Very good back, slowly declining. Lamb and McCarthy make us more of a passing team, limiting Zeke's total yardage, but probably bumping up his ypc. Going more multi runthreat with Dak, Pollard, and Lamb would have a similar effect. Stats should improve, but I doubt we see the 2016 explosiveness ever again.

darthseinfeld · Jun 4, 2020

Hennessy_King said:
The run game was so ineffective last season. Whether that was because of coaching, play calling, execution I don't know. We were supposedly rated #2 offensive run blocking last season but zeke barely ever ran against loaded boxes. If my memory serves me correctly didn't it take him forever to have a run over 20 yards or something. I'm hoping he returns more explosive this season I'm blaming it on the holdout in cabo.

But he isn't the best player on the team. Last season the 2 best players on the team were Zach Martin and Dak Prescott.

Probably all of the above. I think his carry volume will go down. He has put alot of carry's on in his career. I think he can bounce back athletically from that. Murray in Tennessee showed you can bounce back athletically with lower volumes after getting grinded down.

I think his carries will go down to about 260-280 from 300. But you will probably see his use in the passing game go back up to what it was in 2018

Cowboyny · Jun 4, 2020

quickccc said:
Zeke actually does seem to have a weakness now, IMO, ,.. he is no longer explosive and a legit home run threat,.. no longer do teams need to fear a single hand off of quick screen pass and ZKE and instantly hitting fifth gear to a 60 yard TD.

those are the kind of backs that defensive coordinators fear the most .. when we play Sasquon Barkley he keeps us n egg shells with every single carry or touch he gets.

Zeke does not have elite elusiveness and feet.such as Barry sanders, thurman thomas , marshall faulk Ladanian Thomplison, Jamal Charles...or even Saquon Barkley, those are start-stop-and re-start type backs, multiple cut backs.

Zeke is not gonna make a lot of one on one dazzling whiff misses in the open field.
But with his natural instincts and one cut style and build up burst (once upon a time) he didn't have to be a multi-cut, highly elusive runner.

Eric Dickerson was also a one cut runner ,,..Adrian Peterson is a one cut runner.
Neither were highly one on one elusive either, but both were instant home run splash runners, Both scared the hell outta of you when going against him, because you could not afford to lose containment for an instant because they would zoom it to a 50-60 yd TD run .
Some can point to the number of 10 and 20 yard runs,but i don't consider ta threatening home run hitter- a tall tale is more how many 40+ big runs has zeke had.

Something simply happened to zeke prior to 2018, because he seem to become more bell cow grinder pounder... and less of the instant feared splash runner that entered the NFL and took the world by storm n 2016.

He is still an "angry" runner. the violent power, the leg drive, punishes tacklers moving forward - and several defenders have said that zeke " punishes' you, he puts pounding upon you and can wear you down. And what some overlook is how zeke not only has a great knack for the goal line but many times he just overpowers and carries multiple defenders with his strength and awesome leg drive.

But i would not think after just 4 years and averaging 20.4 carries per his career, ZKE body would already be wearing down from his own pounding.
Otherwise that's gonna be a Chris Johnson like early career and soon average player ending.

-Good argument made about Zeke losing his explosiveness. He is still extremely young and doesn't have much wear and tear on his body. Could be several causes such as being in the right shape, playing with some alignments, but I think at his age, explosiveness just doesn't go away. It is certainly something to watch.

StuckMojo · Jun 4, 2020

CowboyRoy said:
Point was even in Zekes best year and Dak's rookie, Dak was voted better. Now 4 years later, Zeke will be hard pressed to do that again and Dak has gotten better.

I agree Dak has gotten better. But becoming a pass first offense we went 7-8. I don’t care if Zeke or Dak is MVP. I want an offense that no one knows what is coming. Only MVP I care about for Dallas is Super Bowl MVP

Hardline · Jun 4, 2020

Zeke would have been much better with Tony Romo.
In fact he was drafted to pair with Romo.

Defenses will make stopping Zeke the #1 priority regardless of the receiving weapons Dak has .

CowboyRoy · Jun 4, 2020

StuckMojo said:
I agree Dak has gotten better. But becoming a pass first offense we went 7-8. I don’t care if Zeke or Dak is MVP. I want an offense that no one knows what is coming. Only MVP I care about for Dallas is Super Bowl MVP

Are you suggesting that we went 8-8 because of our passing offense? That would be laughable.

"Duhh the only MVP I care about is the Superbowl MVP"

Garrett got fired.....................How about watching the new offense before you start crying about Superbowls?

By the way, do you have any interest in defense? No?

StuckMojo · Jun 4, 2020

CowboyRoy said:
Are you suggesting that we went 8-8 because of our passing offense? That would be laughable.

"Duhh the only MVP I care about is the Superbowl MVP"

Garrett got fired.....................How about watching the new offense before you start crying about Superbowls?

By the way, do you have any interest in defense? No?

Yes I care about defense. And over paying Dak hurts your defense. What the hell is wrong about wanting to have the Super Bowl MVP instead of regular season MVP? I want success for the team not an individual player.

big dog cowboy · Jun 4, 2020

Hardline said:
Defenses will make stopping Zeke the #1 priority regardless of the receiving weapons Dak has .

I'd love to see the Cowboys offense face 8 man fronts consistently.

StarBoyz83 · Jun 4, 2020

fivetwos said:
He isnt wearing down.

He is fat, lazy and selfish. Demanded his pay day and got it, and has a me first team second attitude.

Having a party is way more important to this guy than football.

Same with jaylon and dlaw

starfan1 · Jun 4, 2020

I wish zeke the best but I’m not optimistic. I was listening to the fan the other day and they were talking about stats and running backs and their decline as it relates to the amount of touches both carries and receptions and how not smart it was to pay him

he’s still a top ten back probably top 5 but he is not even close to what he was

GimmeTheBall! · Jun 4, 2020

Cowboyny said:
Zeke in my opinion, is without a doubt the team's best player. Highly productive, highly durable (never missed a game due to an injury). Opposing teams game plan to shut him down.

Last year was the first season, he legitimately lost the rushing title, finishing with over 1,300 yards and 12 td's. Many will argue his holdout affected his play early on, no matter, it will fuel his motivation for this upcoming season.

Zeke is the most balance RB in the entire league, he doesn't have a weakness on the field, but he has been vastly underused as a receiver by the former coaching staff. We have seen what he can do in space and he is deadly on screens passes. MM and is WCO will incorporate Zeke far more in the team's passing game. We are going to finally see the Zeke Elliot at his full potential. He has a LaDanian Tomlinson type of ceiling as an all-around back. The return of the zbs and a new RB coach who oversaw Gurley's success in it, will only help Zeke get better. In my opinion, he is going to have a monster season!!

Rah! Rah! Rah!I
Zeke's our man!I
He's not fat just
A rugged man!

Zeke is going to have a monster, MVP type season!

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