It's time for Zeke to go

[Ring6]

#40 seems to be able to pass protect ok, and also do the dirty running

 

[CTcowboy203]

Agreed, but it won’t happen. I think he needs to be out of the rotation. It should be dowdle, luepke, cook. There’s no way cook couldn’t at least give us what zeke is. That’s how bad zeke has been. Zeke is a viable blocker but we need all hands on deck and should at least try cook as number 3.

Heavy focus on dowdle, but zeke doesn’t need to be anything more than a locker room vet or a goal line guy

 

[Rayman70]

Luepke can do everything Zeke can't do any longer. The lone thing Zeke can still do is pass block but that's about it. Luepke has fresh legs, and quicker.

 

[Rayman70]

Cook seems fragile. But maybe we can use him in passing roles where we can get him in the flat on a screen.

 

[RonWashington]

Interesting they chose not to use Zeke on that last second goal line situation in Pittsburg. If short yardage/goalie situations are his wheelhouse, why didn’t they use him then?

Because Dowdle was having his best game as a Cowboy . Taking him out would have been mismanagement

 

[rambo2]

Most of us knew it was unlikely we would resign Tony Pollard last off-season. Many of us hoped Derrick Henry would be on the radar because he would certainly require less than Pollard. But those dreams died quickly amidst all the cap lies the Jones boys fed us all off-season.

When it was announced back in the spring that a washed up Ezekiel Elliott was headed back to Big D to “shore up” a depleted RB position, I believed unless a miracle happened, Zeke wouldn‘t finish the season a member of the Dallas Cowboys. After five regular season games, I think his Cinderella story has become a pumpkin.

In five regular season games so far this year, Zeke has 30 carries for 98 yards, 3.2 yards per carry. He also has 6 receptions for 35 yards, less than 6 yards per catch. Combined, Zeke has 36 touches for 133 yards. That’s 3.7 yards per touch. Ouch.

There is zero room in the NFL for a sentimental roster spot. It‘s time to let Zeke go with thanks for all his glory days in Dallas. Those glory days left the building a few years ago. We can find another RB somewhere who has 3.2 yards per carry and has some upside.

It‘s time to say goodbye to Zeke.

You do know that he blocks? He protects the qb. He does help the team.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

fans who say Zeke is good for a short yardage carry aren't taking into account the opportunities lost by having Zeke take up a roster spot, and take away carries from another RB who could possibly break a tackle and run for more than the 3 yards we get from a Zeke carry. Bringing him back was a big mistake. Even before letting him go last season the Cowboys held onto Zeke for two years too many. He was washed long ago.

Plus he offers nothing on special teams, which basically every other backup RB in the league does. So it's almost like costing you two gameday active spots.

 

[Carson]

Rico was hot…but that fumble was huge. He may not get another chance at the goal line.

That’s the problem with Rico and Luepke. The staff does not trust them yet in those situations.

I know it was last year for Luepke, but the fumble against Miami and Rico against Pittsburgh. But those are crucial plays.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

They won't cut him now. Just won't re-sign him, hopefully

Yes and no........I agree they won't release him...for now. I think when they bring Cook up he is going to be inactive. I don't see him and Cook both being active on game day. I admit I expected more from him. He's an icon and a full bloody Cowboy but it's obvious his body has failed him. It was sad listening to Dak talk about his lack of playing time last week. He wanna play more but is ready to do whatever it takes to help the team.

 

[RonnieT24]

Interesting they chose not to use Zeke on that last second goal line situation in Pittsburg. If short yardage/goalie situations are his wheelhouse, why didn’t they use him then?

After seeing people having to help him put his shoulder pads on and take them I am starting to wonder if there isn't a shoulder issue that has not been disclosed. That's the ONLY reason that it would make sense that he has not been used more in short yardage and pass protection. Like I said in another thread.. some guys can come off the bench and be effective in short spurts. It appears Zeke is not one of them. Not his fault but if they're not going to give him the short yardage and goal line totes and they're not going to give him enough consecutive carries in the flow of the game to get a lather up then they simply have no use for him. But unless he is causing issues in the locker room or on the sideline, which I can't imagine he is, that's just no him, there is also no reason to send him away. Though if he IS dealing with some nagging injury they might give him the Brandin Cooks treatment and put him in IR for 4 weeks to get his body right then bring him back for the stretch run.

 

[RonnieT24]

That’s the problem with Rico and Luepke. The staff does not trust them yet in those situations.

I know it was last year for Luepke, but the fumble against Miami and Rico against Pittsburgh. But those are crucial plays.

Nor should they. Both have coughed it up in huge situations now. That's why you keep an old warhorse like Zeke around. But the head scratch is why was he not in the game? I know Rico was having a career day and they wanted him to have a chance at ultimate glory but damn, experience matters in those situations.

 

[Praxit]

... I bet zeki does not fumble on that one yard line.
Rico almost cost us the game..just saying.
Let rico run as the number one back and ziki for short yardage

 

[RonnieT24]

Because Dowdle was having his best game as a Cowboy . Taking him out would have been mismanagement

Not as much mismanagement as it would have been to allow him to fumble the game away.

 

[RonWashington]

Not as much mismanagement as it would have been to allow him to fumble the game away.

Come on you can’t anticipate him fumbling . He’s churning towards a 100 yard game . Leupke would have been my second choice on that play and yes I remember the Miami fumble

 

[America's Cowboy]

Zeke actually made Dak...otherwise? That first year does not happen.

Yeah, Dak just passed for 3,667 yards, 23 TDs, only 4 INTs, a 104.9 passer rating and won Rookie of the Year in 2016 because of Zeke?

But if Romo had not gotten hurt in preseason and able to QB all of 2016 while accumulate good passing stats, that would have been solely because of Romo, not Zeke?

Got it.

 

[RonnieT24]

Come on you can’t anticipate him fumbling . He’s churning towards a 100 yard game . Leupke would have been my second choice on that play and yes I remember the Miami fumble

Inexperienced players make more mistakes than veterans. You don't anticipate a guy making a mistake but the likelihood of a guy making one decreases with experience. So a guy with 2000+ career carries is simply a safer bet than a guy with 200. Nothing against Rico but not using players to their strengths is one of the things that has been plaguing this team. Running Brandin Cooks exclusively on short and intermediate routes. Having our massive o-linemen zone blocking instead of power-drive blocking. Running a 170 pound back almost exclusively up the middle. There's a pretty good list of our coaching staff seemingly not wanting to use guys the way they should be used. Maybe they figured some things out during the Steeler game.. We will see on Sunday if they continue to use more combo blocks to clear a path for our backs instead of ***** footin around with the d-line at the point of attack.

 

[RonWashington]

I’m all in favor of Dowdle being in on that goal line series and giving him the rock 15-18 times a game . I’m impressed with his pass catching skills as well .

 

[rambo2]

Most of us knew it was unlikely we would resign Tony Pollard last off-season. Many of us hoped Derrick Henry would be on the radar because he would certainly require less than Pollard. But those dreams died quickly amidst all the cap lies the Jones boys fed us all off-season.

When it was announced back in the spring that a washed up Ezekiel Elliott was headed back to Big D to “shore up” a depleted RB position, I believed unless a miracle happened, Zeke wouldn‘t finish the season a member of the Dallas Cowboys. After five regular season games, I think his Cinderella story has become a pumpkin.

In five regular season games so far this year, Zeke has 30 carries for 98 yards, 3.2 yards per carry. He also has 6 receptions for 35 yards, less than 6 yards per catch. Combined, Zeke has 36 touches for 133 yards. That’s 3.7 yards per touch. Ouch.

There is zero room in the NFL for a sentimental roster spot. It‘s time to let Zeke go with thanks for all his glory days in Dallas. Those glory days left the building a few years ago. We can find another RB somewhere who has 3.2 yards per carry and has some upside.

It‘s time to say goodbye to Zeke.

How many first downs did he make in this game? I know that he got 1 in the final drive.

 

[Diehardblues]

Interesting they chose not to use Zeke on that last second goal line situation in Pittsburg. If short yardage/goalie situations are his wheelhouse, why didn’t they use him then?

I don’t understand why they haven’t been using him more.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Most of us said DON'T SIGN ZEKE.

Unfortunately the Cowboys did. Now the big problem (just as I predicted) is they are in a position where he has proven he is done, but won't cut him because of who he is.

You have no idea how much I wish I had been wrong. But this was so easy to see coming.