Dallas Cowboys: Can Ezekiel Elliott Take Team Worst To First?

[Sydla]

I will ask again to the believers who do not think a superior running game correlates too victories ........ if present day Mcfadden would have taken Emmitt Smiths place in the early 90's teams ....... would they have still won all those Super Bowls?

One, comparing the 90s NFL to the 2015ish NFL is a mistake. Different game now. It's like comparing Phillip Rivers to Joe Montana because Rivers has thrown for more yards than Montana. Two different eras.

And the fact remains, this very article you linked to started off by giving data they thought supported their point but in fact kind of hurt it.

I love being able to run the ball. I think it's a benefit when you can run the ball regardless of what a defense does. But I am also not blind to the realities of today's NFL and the data that tilts HEAVILY towards the notion that it's passing that really wins games, not running.

 

[zrinkill]

I don't think you can say. I mean, obviously, the present day McFadden is at the end of his career. He would have to play at a very high level for 4 more season and I don't see that. Now, if we are talking about McFadden in his prime, it's possible that we could have. McFadden could have been really, really good IMO, had he gone to the right situation. He played for years behind a poor OL and those years, IMO, were wasted. Put him behind what I believe was the best OL in the history of the game and there is no telling what he might have been able to do. Troy was always going to be Troy, Michael was always going to be Michael, the Defense was going to do what it did and that OL was going to beat the snot out of everybody in the League for years so it is possible under those circumstances.

Thank you for answering ....... this just shows our profound difference of opinion on football.

Because I think Emmitt Smith was the catalyst of those Super Bowl teams and the most important player behind Troy AIkman .

Without Emmitt and his pounding style I do not think the Cowboys would have been the juggernaut that they were.

And I definitely do not believe they could have just gotten anyone to run and still be great. Sorry..

 

[zrinkill]

comparing the 90s NFL to the 2015ish NFL is a mistake.

Football is football....... that Cowboys team would crush any team in this era.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Thank you for answering ....... this just shows our profound difference of opinion on football.

Because I think Emmitt Smith was the catalyst of those Super Bowl teams and the most important player behind Troy AIkman .

Without Emmitt and his pounding style I do not think the Cowboys would have been the juggernaut that they were.

And I definitely do not believe they could have just gotten anyone to run and still be great. Sorry..

You are right and wrong about my thoughts here. I believe the OL was the catalyst but I do think that Emmitt was very key. I don't think you have just any back and see that kind of success but I don't think McFadden was just any back coming out of Arkansas. I think he went to a bad situation and that hurt his career. I think if he had had the advantage of playing with talent like we had in the early 90s, his career could have been very different. However, I don't believe just any back could have done it.

 

[zrinkill]

You are right and wrong about my thoughts here. I believe the OL was the catalyst but I do think that Emmitt was very key. I don't think you have just any back and see that kind of success but I don't think McFadden was just any back coming out of Arkansas. I think he went to a bad situation and that hurt his career. I think if he had had the advantage of playing with talent like we had in the early 90s, his career could have been very different. However, I don't believe just any back could have done it.

But we don't have the Mcfadden who just came out of college ...... we have last years Mcfadden who people think was good enough and we should not have drafted Zeke.

I think Zeke will take us to another level ...... I am tired of "good enough" at the position ......

I think the running game is crucial to a winning team ..... i dont care what they are doing in New England ........ just like I did not care what they were doing in San Fran in the 90's

 

[Toruk_Makto]

S


So Emmitt Smith was not important in the Cowboys Super Bowl years ......correct?

What is Emmitt's career playoff record without a top 12 passer?

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Correct - there is a huge difference in Murray and McFadden running behind that line even if the average yardage seemed similar. McFadden is a JAG but our line made him look like a very good RB. I think the lesser RB made the Oline seem worse in 2015 than in 2014. Barring injury, I think we'll be amazed at how much "better" the O-line is once Zeke is the bell cow now. The Zeke haters will then point to how our improved line is the reason for his success, lol. It takes both an elite line and an elite RB to optimize the running game. I think we'll finally see that in 2016.

McFadden is a JAG? Past his prime maybe......but his tools aren't that of a JAG. Maybe his skinny legs are.

 

[TheCount]

I don't think a non-QB has ever come into the league with as much pressure as Zeke is.

 

[zrinkill]

What is Emmitt's career playoff record without a top 12 passer?

So no ........ he was not important.

2015 Mcfadden could have done enough for the same outcome ......

Correct?

 

[DandyDon1722]

PFF grades say they were...

How else do you explain the running game still being as good as it was? And how do you explain all of our QBs having days to throw? The only thing they were worse at, was penalties.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/01/20/pro-ranking-all-32-offensive-lines-this-season/

The running game was an imposter who looked the part but lacked the substance to be the real thing. Here's what I mean.

The most important correlative offensive stat to winning in the NFL is Points Per Drive. We have been consistently top ten with Tony as QB and in 2014 we were 2nd in the entire league being barely edged out by Green Bay.

In 2015 we were 27th.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

The running game was an imposter who looked the part but lacked the substance to be the real thing. Here's what I mean.

The most important correlative offensive stat to winning in the NFL is Points Per Drive. We have been consistently top ten with Tony as QB and in 2014 we were 2nd in the entire league being barely edged out by Green Bay.

In 2015 we were 27th.

Gee what changed in 2015?

 

[DandyDon52]

o man we need the preseason to get here fast !!!!!!!!!!!
Cowboys are going to run the ball, and we will see how it works out and where it leads.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

But we don't have the Mcfadden who just came out of college ...... we have last years Mcfadden who people think was good enough and we should not have drafted Zeke.

I think Zeke will take us to another level ...... I am tired of "good enough" at the position ......

I think the running game is crucial to a winning team ..... i dont care what they are doing in New England ........ just like I did not care what they were doing in San Fran in the 90's

I think everybody understands that but I don't believe the issue is "just stick with McFadden till his legs fall off", per say. I think fans new that it was prudent to take a RB. The disagreement is based on other factors, which I have commented on already.

 

[kevm3]

If Dez and Romo are healthy and Zeke's blocking and running are on par, it'd do a lot to keep the team competitive next season.

 

[tyke1doe]

He could but It's unlikely IMO. If this team goes from worst to first, Elliott will probably get the credit for that but the truth will be that it's because Tony stayed Healthy and the OL improved dramatically.

I know it's a popular position, on this board, to point to our OL and think that they are the best in the league. Talent wise, projection wise, they might be but from the standpoint of actual execution, they were not last year. They could have been better and they probably will be better this year but they still have to do that. If we flip the switch this year, that is why it will happen IMO. Elliott, thou he may get the credit, will not be the guy that does it IMO. He will be the benefactor of those two things.

But won't Romo be a benefactor of Ezekiel Elliott and the offensive line? And won't the offensive line be a benefactor of Ezekiel Elliott and Romo? And won't Zeke be a benefactor of Romo and the offensive line?

 

[percyhoward]

I would be interested in seeing the hurries info. Do you have the source for this? If not, it's OK but thought I would ask.

Thank you Percy

I can't find it, as PFF has gone hollywood and no longer provides much useful information. But here's a thread from late last season with some interesting pass-pro analyses.

http://cowboyszone.com/threads/cowboys-by-far-fewest-qb-pressures-allowed.339341/

 

[tyke1doe]

Can "zeke"

This team will do better than last year barring injuries to 9.

People will credit Zeke.

The back patting will be intense.

Romo can't do it by himself, though. If he could, we would have gotten further in the playoffs than we did previously with a healthy Romo.

Romo needs an Ezekiel Elliott as much as Zeke needs Romo.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Romo can't do it by himself, though. If he could, we would have gotten further in the playoffs than we did previously with a healthy Romo.

Romo needs an Ezekiel Elliott as much as Zeke needs Romo.

No. Romo needs a defense that will help the team win the passer efficiency battle.

Romo is 3rd all time in QB rating. He did that all without Zeke. He would have been fine regardless. This stupid narrative that Romo needs Zeke is stupid.

 

[percyhoward]

Further, 12 teams make the playoffs. So out of 12 playoff teams, only 5 were in the Top 10 in rushing? How in the heck do they then conclude that running the football "gets teams to the playoffs"?

Ranking in the top 10 sure didn't get us into the playoffs.

The Bucs, Rams, and Cowboys all finished in the top 10 in rushing yards in 2015, and all finished with losing records.

 

[DTown214]

There's no way you can make a case for anyone else to win the division but Dallas. With or without Zeke. With Zeke... only debate is if we'll have home field advantage on our way to #6