Same old argument "it's all o-line, other backs could have done the same".
Fact is there WEREN'T other backs running the ball for the Cowboys from 2016 on. Can't know if others could have done as well, can't go back in time and replay the seasons.
Tired of the 20-20 hindsight and "what ifs". Is it also a fact that Zeke isn't doing what he did, stat-wise, both good and bad, as he was in 2016 or 2018? Sure, the numbers alone don't lie, if nothing else. But again looking at the facts, this is the first year he's not been very good to great. In 2017 he only played 10 games due to Goodell's penalty, but he was averaging 98.3 ypc and 0.7 tds per game, extrapolate that over 16 games and you have over 1,500 yards and about 11 tds, right in line with his other years. Number one in the league in 2016 and 2018. His ypc before this year were 5.1, 4.1, 4.7 and 4.5. Not too shabby. Emmit had a 5.3, 4.7 and 4.6 his best 3 years, essentially the same. He had a 3.7 ypc year in 1996, as bad as Zeke is doing this year he's still 0.2 ypc above that. Backs are allowed to have off seasons, IT HAPPENS.
And before I get inundated with the "how dare you say Zeke is as good as Emmitt", I'm not saying that. There's more to it than stats, Emmitt had other things that made him great, he also had 15 seasons to prove it. Zeke's only in his 5th.
So this year is 3.9. That's bad. So I get it, running backs aren't allowed to have an off year, whatever the reason. And if you get a fat contract, you aren't allowed to have an off year, whatever the reason.
Well that's not life folks, Zeke is a person, on a team. Things don't always turn out peachy keen like we want them to. It's not totally up to Zeke to do well, there are lots of other factors.
No loyalty here to the players, have a bad year and it's off the trash heap with you! We paid you a lot, so you have to be great, regardless of anything else, right?
All I'm saying is Zeke's still young, he has time to return to form. Maybe he is "off" because of having the Covid, in which case people here can't allow for that and give him a chance to get back to greatness next year?
Yes we're all upset (well at least most of us) at this season, and the prior 26 seasons. I, and many others, are used to SB successes. It's hard to swallow this season. I watch the various sports shows about the NFL on television, Dallas is seldom mentioned, and if they are it's usually in a bad light. Have to watch endless slobbering over Mahomes and the Steelers, among others.
But taking out our frustrations on one of our own players, who's done great things for the team, is shameful. If he was doing drugs, or getting suspended for peds or such, he deserves to be blasted. But that's not the case..
Criticize his fumbles, his coming out of games so much and so forth, that's a lot on him personally, but even at that, he's trying his best. We all have shortcomings at times, how would you like your boss blasting because you missed two weeks with illness and got behind in your work and are having a hard time catching up? Saying you should be fired because this year you're not up to expectations?
Long post but referring to a line in the movie Red October "Give the man a chance"...
