Cowboys Critique: Little Aaiden Diggs Rips RB Ezekiel Elliott

[MountaineerCowboy]

With the Cowboys. Everything is Jerrys fault. Thats what happens when you have 34 titles in your name. President, Ceo, Owner, Doctor, etc. 27 years of nothing. Whos fault is that? Ours?

Yeah, I can't stand Jerry either, but if they're as hurt as you all desperately want to believe they are then they're not playing in that game with the playoffs next week.

 

[phildadon86]

Yeah, I can't stand Jerry either, but if they're as hurt as you all desperately want to believe they are then they're not playing in that game with the playoffs next week.

Lol whatever you say man. Gotta love people that judge athletes behind a keyboard.

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

Lol whatever you say man. Gotta love people that judge athletes behind a keyboard.

Personally, I love gullible people that will believe everything they are told to believe.

 

[RonnieT24]

Zeke was having a good year, got hurt, sucked it up and kept playing. He could have checked it in and collected his paycheck....he has my respect.

Amen.. Here's the fun part.. If he HAD sat 10 games and collected his huge check while doing so.. the same people ripping him for playing hurt would be ripping him for sitting and calling him soft and proclaiming that he "got paid and stopped caring." You really do just have to ignore some of these chumps man..

 

[RonnieT24]

His backup was hurt too. That's why he played.

Please do not allow the facts to get in the way of a good narrative, Oz. You're harshing their mellow..

 

[RonnieT24]

If you can't see the appreciation for the sport the hustle the love for the game in a player then you shouldn't be commenting

I will never be able to understand how people who allegedly love the game get mad at guys who ALSO love the game and want to play every snap that they can. If the Cowboys would let me I would suit up and play MYSELF in a "meaningless game." Why the hell would I not believe that guys who have paid the price since they were 7-8 years old to earn that privilege want to play as well? More importantly.. why would I be mad at them for doing that which they are paid to do and that which any of us would do for free?

 

[RonnieT24]

I’m sure 100% of the board prefers Pollard

I am also sure 100% of the board knows Zeke is gone after this season

You are 100% wrong on point #1 and nobody knows about point #2.

 

[RonnieT24]

Bingo. He hasn't been worth a dime since he signed that big contract. If he played injured, it was only to prevent Tony Pollard from taking his job. Barring a return to his rookie form, he's a cap cut next off season.

I am fascinated that there are people in this world who believe players get to decide when they play or not and nobody else is involved in the decision. This aint the NBA, man. Players don't have that kind of power in the NFL. They sat Dak, the face of the franchise, a game when he was hurt but Zeke, who makes about one third what Dak makes, has the power to overrule the coaches and training staff? You guys can't honestly believe this..

 

[Ranching]

I am fascinated that there are people in this world who believe players get to decide when they play or not and nobody else is involved in the decision. This aint the NBA, man. Players don't have that kind of power in the NFL. They sat Dak, the face of the franchise, a game when he was hurt but Zeke, who makes about one third what Dak makes, has the power to overrule the coaches and training staff? You guys can't honestly believe this..

 

[maryquality]

I will never be able to understand how people who allegedly love the game get mad at guys who ALSO love the game and want to play every snap that they can. If the Cowboys would let me I would suit up and play MYSELF in a "meaningless game." Why the hell would I not believe that guys who have paid the price since they were 7-8 years old to earn that privilege want to play as well? More importantly.. why would I be mad at them for doing that which they are paid to do and that which any of us would do for free?

 

[atlantacowboy]

I am fascinated that there are people in this world who believe players get to decide when they play or not and nobody else is involved in the decision. This aint the NBA, man. Players don't have that kind of power in the NFL. They sat Dak, the face of the franchise, a game when he was hurt but Zeke, who makes about one third what Dak makes, has the power to overrule the coaches and training staff? You guys can't honestly believe this..

Oh, I don't know. I guess b/c I read and watch what happens in regard to Dallas. Why do you think the Cowboys played an injured, ineffective Zeke over Pollard? You can't make a statistical argument. I think certain players do dictate their playing time, especially on a team that neuters its coaches like Dallas.

https://www.nfl.com/news/ezekiel-el...ee-injury-wants-cowboys-to-lock-back-in-on-ru

 

[erod]

Just repeating what daddy says at home.

 

[Starforever]

Amen.. Here's the fun part.. If he HAD sat 10 games and collected his huge check while doing so.. the same people ripping him for playing hurt would be ripping him for sitting and calling him soft and proclaiming that he "got paid and stopped caring." You really do just have to ignore some of these chumps man..

Exactly!

 

[Starforever]

I’m sure 100% of the board prefers Pollard

I am also sure 100% of the board knows Zeke is gone after this season

100% wrong, and you have no idea. I prefer Zeke 100%.

 

[RonnieT24]

Oh, I don't know. I guess b/c I read and watch what happens in regard to Dallas. Why do you think the Cowboys played an injured, ineffective Zeke over Pollard? You can't make a statistical argument. I think certain players do dictate their playing time, especially on a team that neuters its coaches like Dallas.

https://www.nfl.com/news/ezekiel-el...ee-injury-wants-cowboys-to-lock-back-in-on-ru

I have delineated my thoughts on the "why" many times here but I will summarize them for anybody new to the discussion:

1) In most games where Zeke was stopped, so was Pollard. And in most games where Pollard was running well so was Zeke. There were only a couple of games in 2021 where Pollard clearly outperformed Zeke on a per touch basis. But one of them was the stupid Tampa game where he was averaging 1.5 ypc until he got 11 meaningless yards on the final "laterals all around" play. There were also games where Pollard was largely ineffective except for maybe one big run while Zeke grinded out a steady 3-4 yards no matter the defense did to try and stop him.

2) Kellen Moore wants to pass way more than he wants to run.. that means the backs MUST the passer, something Zeke simply does orders of magnitude better than Pollard. Even on one leg he was really good at it. And with all the problems the line was having, Zeke's 3-4 ypc while protecting Dak was more valuable than Pollard's 5 ypc while whiffing on blocks.

3) The Cowboys didn't really feature Zeke much after the injury anyway. He had single digit carries 4 times in the last 8 games of the season and didn't have a 20 carry game after week 5. For all the whining about his "playing over the more effective Pollard," the numbers say he didn't. He may have been on the field a lot more, but he sure as hell wasn't getting the ball.

4) Pollard got hurt and missed two games while getting half the touches Zeke got.. What evidence does anyone have that he can stay healthy with a bigger load?

The bottom line is, unless he's out there averaging 8 ypc and scoring a TD every 5th carry Pollard aint playing ahead of Zeke until he can prove he can pick up the pass rush better. People can feel free not to like reality.. but reality doesn't care.. It's not going to change..

 

[Blast From The Past]

I was a player or coach for about 40 years! What the hell do you know? I appreciate the hustle and his love for the game.....blame the coaches! Not him....he could have sat on his butt and get paid....he didn't. I respect that! What don't you understand! Have you ever played?

It has gotten to a point that if a player plays hurt or sits out hurt he is a bum. Injuries are real and they slow a player down. I wanted more Pollard and less Zeke last season but I won't put Zeke down for gutting it out for whatever reasons he himself had for playing hurt.

 

[Bermystar12]

His dad should've busted his butt for speaking out of turn.

Things done changed

 

[Cmac]

You don't play in a meaningless Week 18 game against the Eagles practice squad with the playoffs the next week if you're hurt.

We have a couple big name guys on our offense that have been given the injury excuses for their play being worse down the stretch. Meanwhile they were out there just to reach milestones in a meaningless game.

These same guys have set those types of games out in the past.

I was more baffled at Dak slinging TD passes over a practice squad lineup and KMoore looking like an Offensive Genius against the practice squad lineup that the Eagles presented.

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

I was more baffled at Dak slinging TD passes over a practice squad lineup and KMoore looking like an Offensive Genius against the practice squad lineup that the Eagles presented.

Even more baffling considering he was supposed to be so injured that it derailed his whole season.

 

[Thomas82]

I will never be able to understand how people who allegedly love the game get mad at guys who ALSO love the game and want to play every snap that they can. If the Cowboys would let me I would suit up and play MYSELF in a "meaningless game." Why the hell would I not believe that guys who have paid the price since they were 7-8 years old to earn that privilege want to play as well? More importantly.. why would I be mad at them for doing that which they are paid to do and that which any of us would do for free?

Preach!!