Don't look now (Ezekiel Elliott)

[CalPolyTechnique]

Yup. He's 8th in total yards. Which after 2 weeks isn't impressive. He's 8th in total yards but has been given the 5th most carries. That 33rd yards per rush mark is 33rd.

It's early so let's not write off the guys career...but given that running the ball is literally the easiest thing to translate from college to the pros it's concerning. To me. But he also hasn't had a qb who defenses respect to stretch the field. So maybe this isn't fiar to him.

But....wasn't he brought on to be the difference maker for the QB? And not the QB being the difference maker for him? It's concerning.

The thing is Zeke could go on and rush for 1200+ yards, 4.5 YPC and score 8-12 TDs and it still wouldn't justify using the 4th overall pick on a RB.

There's a list longer than Schindler's of late round and undrafted players that have put up similar statlines on yearly basis.

 

[BrassCowboy]

He's also pacing at 3.3 YPA, which is horrible and ranked 33rd behind arguably the best line in the league. If you give a guy the ball a couple dozen more times than anyone else, he's going to get more yards.

If you guys could just stop declaring his greatness with every other breath, maybe there wouldn't be such a backlash when he messes up?

I really don't understand the knee jerk reactions from some fans, Elliot is a rookie. Can't judge him based on two games.

 

[kevm3]

The real question is who would we have drafted in his stead? Who is tearing up the league right now? On the average team, you don't draft RBs high, but the one year we broke 8 and 8 is when we had a dominant running game, so on our team, behind the touted 'best O line in football' or even the 'best unit in football', drafting an RB at that position is feasible. Ramsey was one option, but the Jaguars just got lit up for nearly 40 points by the chargers, so we'd potentially be having a conversation of taking another cb so high and how we should have learned our lesson after Claiborne..

The problem is that the O-line isn't creating the amount of holes we expected and we're playing with a rookie QB, so defenses are keying in on the run and making our rookie QB beat them. Thankfully, it looks like Dak has what it takes to make defenses spread out. When our O line was opening holes up for Zeke, Zeke was getting 8 to 9 yards a carry. Even AP and Gurley show that they can't just magically run through a slew of defenders all the time. If this O-line gels and significantly improves in the run blocking and Zeke gets his rookie jitters out, then we'll start to see why he was taken so high.

 

[tyke1doe]

Early prediction, if Zeke goes 18 carries for 34 yards against the Bears, irvin88_4life will breakdown the numbers absurdly until they fit the narrative he wants: "Yeah, he only got 34 yards, but he averaged a whopping 5.2 YPC on his first two carries of the first five minutes of the 2nd QTR!!!"

I admit, I

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Zeke looks fine to me. He significantly improved over last game. The problem to me is that run blocking. Any time the o line opens up a hole for him, he's running for 8 yards or so. A lot of times, there is nothing there.

So what you're saying is that running the ball is more about the line opening holes than it is about who is running through them?

 

[CowboyRoy]

Elliott is ranked 8th in the NFL in rushing yards and only two running backs have more touchdowns than him (each with 3).

People are using one bad game and a couple bad snaps to try to prove their point that this kid shouldn't have been drafted 4th overall while ignoring what is going on with Bosa and Ramsey. This was still the correct pick and I think we saw a much better game out of him last week despite the fumbles.

Some want to make Morris the starter (they've wanted this since training camp to push their agenda not help the team). But his numbers are certainly not demonstrably better than Elliotts.

Does he need to run better? Absolutely. I will also say the line needs to block better. I will also say Dak needs to take shots further down the field to keep defenses honest.

I would ask that people put their agendas in their pockets til week 9.

Thanks

I have an agenda with Zeke being great yet that is one horrid week and one decent week. For me, that is two bad showings for Zeke. I think at this point we can rule out that he isnt some Marshall Faulk type back.

And as I said many times, any good back can get 1500 yards behind this line given the opportunity and the carries. I am not seeing that something special from Zeke yet.

 

[CATCH17]

I really don't understand the knee jerk reactions from some fans, Elliot is a rookie. Can't judge him based on two games.

True but the reason he was drafted top 4 was because he was a instant impact bigtime player.

It didn't take Gurley long at all to tear it up.

If he is just average or slightly better than average than it was a wasted pick. We need him to blow up soon.

If we're seeing average in October then that is probably just what he will be.

He's not beating 8 & 9 man fronts and the coaches keep slamming him into them so either beat those fronts or the coaches better get him in space somehow.

 

[Jarv]

According to the latest Sturm article, we are having a hard time running with our "big" packages and he laid most of the blame on the TEs, saying we miss Hannah. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I think we're averaging around 2.5 yards per carry with our "big" packages and 4.2 on our spread packages. Whatever, but take it for what it's worth.

If and I'm not saying yet he will, start taking over games and becoming a big threat, which he hasn't yet. Then let's sit down and reevaluate this pick.

 

[InDakWeTrust]

Witten has not finished a block in two games, the only way he's getting a plus is that the defender is taking himself out of the play.

I'd much rather run out of 11 formation.

 

[lostar2009]

Zeke might have been the best pic but he isn't the best back for this team right now. Zeke almost cost us 2 games already and Dak needs a vet out there with him. Zeke time will come but right now I think Morris should be starting.

 

[Nightman]

Here's where the guys ahead of Zeke in rushing yardage were drafted:


#27
#44
Undrafted
Undrafted
#97
Undrafted
#15
#86


Just incase you need another reminder about why drafting a RB 4th overall is idiotic.

The whole 'he isn't worthy of the 4th pick' is moronic

You could do this junk science with every single position......we wanted EE and we had the 4th pick so we took him

We could have got cute and traded back and missed him....Jared Goff, Joey Bosa and Jalen Ramsey are really killing it

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Witten has not finished a block in two games, the only way he's getting a plus is that the defender is taking himself out of the play.

I'd much rather run out of 11 formation.

You're not the only one that's noticed that. Frankly, his blocking has declined over the past few seasons.

 

[Nightman]

Witten has not finished a block in two games, the only way he's getting a plus is that the defender is taking himself out of the play.

I'd much rather run out of 11 formation.

I thought the 11 formation was 1 RB and 1 TE and the 12 package was 1 RB and 2 TEs

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

The whole 'he isn't worthy of the 4th pick' is moronic

You could do this junk science with every single position......we wanted EE and we had the 4th pick so we took him

We could have got cute and traded back and missed him....Jared Goff, Joey Bosa and Jalen Ramsey are really killing it

Taking a RB at #4 overall is moronic, generally speaking.

 

[Nightman]

Taking a RB at #4 overall is moronic, generally speaking.

No it isn't......it is the best way to get a great one.........18 of the top 20 all time RBs were 1st round picks, most of them early...just like every other position

 

[cowboys2233]

Not good enough behind this line we should be #1. Morris should be starting, as this Elliot is just too raw and he looks like he is running in mud.

So in other words, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

 

[TheRomoSexual]

The thing is Zeke could go on and rush for 1200+ yards, 4.5 YPC and score 8-12 TDs and it still wouldn't justify using the 4th overall pick on a RB.

There's a list longer than Schindler's of late round and undrafted players that have put up similar statlines on yearly basis.

You could use the "late round and undrafted players" argument for virtually every position.

For example: Wentz wasn't worth the second overall pick because Dak has put up similar numbers and was drafted in round 4.

See how silly that sounds? Not to mention our other target at the fourth spot, Ramsey, has been playing terribly.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

You could use the "late round and undrafted players" argument for virtually every position.

For example: Wentz wasn't worth the second overall pick because Dak has put up similar numbers and was drafted in round 4.

See how silly that sounds? Not to mention our other target at the fourth spot, Ramsey, has been playing terribly.

There's no other position on the field that has been demonstratively proven you can get instant productive players out of less heralded prospects/resources than RB.

And you're simply making it up about Ramsey.

 

[kevm3]

So what you're saying is that running the ball is more about the line opening holes than it is about who is running through them?

I'm saying it's both. Those 2 yard gains can turn into 5+ yard gains with sufficient blocking coupled with the right runningback. We had decent runblocking last year, but we didn't have the proper backs and thus we had a very noticeable falloff from 2014.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

I'm saying it's both. Those 2 yard gains can turn into 5+ yard gains with sufficient blocking coupled with the right runningback. We had decent runblocking last year, but we didn't have the proper backs and thus we had a very noticeable falloff from 2014.

Our falloff had almost nothing to do with our backs last year and almost everything to do with 9 being gone.