Sturm: Reviewing Elliott's Debut

[Sturm1310]

http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...first-action-ezekiel-elliotts-preseason-debut

 

[chicago JK]

Always good stuff.

We will debate for years if he was worth the 4th pick. Hopefully his play makes that debate tilt in our favor.

I remember always hearing that it is easy to move the ball between the 30's in the air and that even bad teams do this. This is how I felt out about our run game last year. They got good yardage but the yardage was not impactful. They were terrible in short yardage and inside the red zone. My hope is that Zeke and Morris, get us into much more manageable passing downs on second and third downs. And on short yardage, they become much more of a weapon in converting short yardage. The ability to find an extra 2-3 yards on a lot of carries really adds up on a drive and during a game. 2nd and five and third and 1, is much better than 2nd and 8 or 3rd and 6. It is great help for Tony and will be more helpful when we have such a young QB starting the season.

 

[bayeslife]

Thanks Bob. Elliot is going to destroy the nfl this year

 

[CATCH17]

I know we are all depending on Dak now that Romo is out but if Zeke can hit the ground running as a truly special player then that would be huge for us.

 

[Denim Chicken]

This is subtle, but they want to go 11 personnel and then line up in empty. This is such a weapon if you have a RB that can do this, because with 11 personnel, you want to force the defense to match your group for an entire possession. If you have Elliott, you can make the defense wrong all the time. If they bring in a group to stop the run, you spread them out with 5-wide in empty and crush their run stoppers trying to cover. If they bring out cover guys, then you shift Witten and Elliott back inside and ground and pound them with up-tempo. I promise, this is a plan they are showing and plan on using this season. All-purpose offense is where the league is headed and it takes versatile 11-personnel packages.

This is valuable.

 

[CouchCoach]

He will catch a lot more 8 man boxes than he would have with Romo and that can swing both ways. He's a dangerous man to have in the secondary, far more dangerous than Murray was.

My only concern with Zeke is durability, the single most undervalued attribute of a RB and the reason Emmitt owns the record. That, and Sanders lack of interest. Emmitt was the best I've ever seen at picking his hits and knowing when to grab some turf. The life of most RBs is not long in the NFL and I understand he made his debut against the #1 run D in the league and was pumped but if he continues to play like that, I don't like his chances to play 16.

I never understood the criticism Murray got for getting out of bounds. He didn't do it until after he got the 1st downs and was doing his best to remain in the game and help his team.

 

[Idgit]

This is valuable.

Yep. It's why we were high on Dunbar, and with a better inside running threat, if he's effective in patterns, it's even better with Elliott.

 

[jazzcat22]

Always good stuff.

We will debate for years if he was worth the 4th pick. Hopefully his play makes that debate tilt in our favor.

I remember always hearing that it is easy to move the ball between the 30's in the air and that even bad teams do this. This is how I felt out about our run game last year. They got good yardage but the yardage was not impactful. They were terrible in short yardage and inside the red zone. My hope is that Zeke and Morris, get us into much more manageable passing downs on second and third downs. And on short yardage, they become much more of a weapon in converting short yardage. The ability to find an extra 2-3 yards on a lot of carries really adds up on a drive and during a game. 2nd and five and third and 1, is much better than 2nd and 8 or 3rd and 6. It is great help for Tony and will be more helpful when we have such a young QB starting the season.

I will say there will be no debate.
Also, what Zeke brings is he scores, so moving the ball between the 30's will work out. Get to the 30, we now have a healthy Dez, we have Zeke, Morris. Beasely and Witten too, and a QB that can get the ball to them. Rather Tony or Dak.
Now Dak inside the 30, especially inside the 20, is much more of a threat to run. As where Tony wasn't. How about inside the 10, Tony had open lanes, but didn't run, as how many times we settled for FG's. Now Dak can run for that 10 yards.
Not saying by any means to have Dak in there over Tony, but those are some pluses down near the goal line.

 

[NEODOG]

Having Zeke is just one key element in the big picture.....everyone must perform

Especially on the D side.......if we want 6, 7 & 8

 

[ElGatoGrande]

The key to pounding teams with the running game is converting on third downs,,, often with passes. Romo was awesome at this, adjusting the play at the LOS and consistently delivering it to the right spot for the first down. Can Dak do this consistently? I think he can, just not in the same way. He can't read and adjust like Romo and isn't as consistent yet,,, but that run option is always there and his screen passes are pretty awesome. I'm interested to see how the team adjusts the offense for Dak.

 

[CATCH17]

He will catch a lot more 8 man boxes than he would have with Romo and that can swing both ways. He's a dangerous man to have in the secondary, far more dangerous than Murray was.

My only concern with Zeke is durability, the single most undervalued attribute of a RB and the reason Emmitt owns the record. That, and Sanders lack of interest. Emmitt was the best I've ever seen at picking his hits and knowing when to grab some turf. The life of most RBs is not long in the NFL and I understand he made his debut against the #1 run D in the league and was pumped but if he continues to play like that, I don't like his chances to play 16.

I never understood the criticism Murray got for getting out of bounds. He didn't do it until after he got the 1st downs and was doing his best to remain in the game and help his team.

Good.. Dez and T. Will both can feast on man coverage..

I worry about Dak picking apart zone blitzes.. 8 men in the box with single coverage on our big tall WRs? I like it.


Also, Dak can run.. He's not a stick in the mud like those guys we trotted out there last year.

 

[VACowboy]

Awesome stuff, as always.

 

[phildadon86]

The key to pounding teams with the running game is converting on third downs,,, often with passes. Romo was awesome at this, adjusting the play at the LOS and consistently delivering it to the right spot for the first down. Can Dak do this consistently? I think he can, just not in the same way. He can't read and adjust like Romo and isn't as consistent yet,,, but that run option is always there and his screen passes are pretty awesome. I'm interested to see how the team adjusts the offense for Dak.

I actually think Dak is better at screen passes than Romo

 

[superonyx]

I never understood the criticism Murray got for getting out of bounds. He didn't do it until after he got the 1st downs and was doing his best to remain in the game and help his team.

Do you mean like this?

 

[ufcrules1]

"Morris should be the week 1 starter" BWHAAAAA Soooo many of you were wrong. Great eye opening article. Defenses out there are going to really struggle against us due to this weapon we have. He is going to dramatically help this whole team. Love it!

 

[ufcrules1]

I actually think Dak is better at screen passes than Romo

That isn't the only thing. He is bigger, stronger, faster, and has a better arm too. If he can pick up the pros quick, Romo will be the highest paid backup ever.

 

[percyhoward]

The key to pounding teams with the running game is converting on third downs,,, often with passes. Romo was awesome at this, adjusting the play at the LOS and consistently delivering it to the right spot for the first down. Can Dak do this consistently? I think he can, just not in the same way. He can't read and adjust like Romo and isn't as consistent yet,,, but that run option is always there and his screen passes are pretty awesome. I'm interested to see how the team adjusts the offense for Dak.

This was 2nd and 1, but with this personnel it could have easily been 3rd and 1. If this is a bootleg instead of a handoff, Dak has a 62-yard touchdown run here. We could even sneak it in this situation.

 

[CATCH17]

Zeke scoots around doesn't he? Like a little dart.

 

[Idgit]

The key to pounding teams with the running game is converting on third downs,,, often with passes. Romo was awesome at this, adjusting the play at the LOS and consistently delivering it to the right spot for the first down. Can Dak do this consistently? I think he can, just not in the same way. He can't read and adjust like Romo and isn't as consistent yet,,, but that run option is always there and his screen passes are pretty awesome. I'm interested to see how the team adjusts the offense for Dak.

Using the SEA game as an example, there was the 'drop' by Lucky and the minor misfire on the pass to Beasley that killed drives, but both of those were pretty close to conversions, and in the other games we were converting on those throws. You're right that, if Dak can get those first downs running or throwing, things become a lot easier for this offense. Coupled with the downfield shots he takes, he's got a chance to be good.

 

[rynochop]

Do you mean like this?

Lol..that's called, Got Paid