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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/j...el-elliott-might-be-better-than-emmitt-smith/
Ezekiel Elliott has been so good through the first 11 games of his rookie season that he might just be better than Emmitt Smith. That's not just crazy talk either, that's coming from someone who probably actually knows: Jimmy Johnson.
During a recent interview on Speak For Yourself, Johnson was asked if he thought Elliott was already better than Smith ever was from a "skill-wise" standpoint.
The short answer: Yes.
"Norv Turner and I were talking about this a couple of days ago," Johnson said on the Fox Sports show. "Elliott's bigger, stronger, maybe even a step faster than Emmitt Smith, but they're both very similar. I think, you know, Ezekiel Elliott is a more powerful runner. He runs over people. Both of 'em can make people miss, so you don't really get a big shot on 'em. But Elliott will take on tacklers, whereas, you know, Emmitt never did this."
That's a pretty strong statement coming from Johnson, who won two Super Bowls during his five years in Dallas. However, the former Cowboys coach did give Smith the edge in two categories: Longevity and vision.
"Emmitt Smith had longevity. In professional football, running backs don't last very long. Emmitt Smith was the exception," Johnson said. "He lasted a long time, and he played at a high level for a long time."
Of course, there's no reason Elliott can't last as long as Smith did as long he continues to stay healthy.
As for the vision thing, Johnson pointed out that Elliott has a better offensive line in front of him, which means Smith had to have better vision to get through holes.
"Emmitt might have been a little bit better vision-wise, but I really don't think the power of the talent in front of him, the offensive line, was as good as the power in [Elliott's] line," Johnson said. "This line is a bigger, stronger group than what had with the Cowboys."
Comparing a running back who played for 15 years (Smith) to a running back who's only played for 11 games (Elliott) isn't exactly easy, so here's a more apples-to-apples comparison.
Through 11 games, Elliott has 1,199 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Through the first 11 games of his rookie year (1990), Smith had 522 yards and four touchdowns. Smith finished that 1990 season with 937 yards and was named rookie of the year. The Cowboys would end up finishing 7-9 during Smith's rookie year.
Elliott is currently on pace for 1,744 yards in 2016, a number that Smith only topped once during his entire 13 year career in Dallas.
Ezekiel Elliott has been so good through the first 11 games of his rookie season that he might just be better than Emmitt Smith. That's not just crazy talk either, that's coming from someone who probably actually knows: Jimmy Johnson.
During a recent interview on Speak For Yourself, Johnson was asked if he thought Elliott was already better than Smith ever was from a "skill-wise" standpoint.
The short answer: Yes.
"Norv Turner and I were talking about this a couple of days ago," Johnson said on the Fox Sports show. "Elliott's bigger, stronger, maybe even a step faster than Emmitt Smith, but they're both very similar. I think, you know, Ezekiel Elliott is a more powerful runner. He runs over people. Both of 'em can make people miss, so you don't really get a big shot on 'em. But Elliott will take on tacklers, whereas, you know, Emmitt never did this."
That's a pretty strong statement coming from Johnson, who won two Super Bowls during his five years in Dallas. However, the former Cowboys coach did give Smith the edge in two categories: Longevity and vision.
"Emmitt Smith had longevity. In professional football, running backs don't last very long. Emmitt Smith was the exception," Johnson said. "He lasted a long time, and he played at a high level for a long time."
Of course, there's no reason Elliott can't last as long as Smith did as long he continues to stay healthy.
As for the vision thing, Johnson pointed out that Elliott has a better offensive line in front of him, which means Smith had to have better vision to get through holes.
"Emmitt might have been a little bit better vision-wise, but I really don't think the power of the talent in front of him, the offensive line, was as good as the power in [Elliott's] line," Johnson said. "This line is a bigger, stronger group than what had with the Cowboys."
Comparing a running back who played for 15 years (Smith) to a running back who's only played for 11 games (Elliott) isn't exactly easy, so here's a more apples-to-apples comparison.
Through 11 games, Elliott has 1,199 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Through the first 11 games of his rookie year (1990), Smith had 522 yards and four touchdowns. Smith finished that 1990 season with 937 yards and was named rookie of the year. The Cowboys would end up finishing 7-9 during Smith's rookie year.
Elliott is currently on pace for 1,744 yards in 2016, a number that Smith only topped once during his entire 13 year career in Dallas.
