Ummm, that's what he is (or at least was recently). He lacks the explosion he had as a rookie. He's not a shifty TB at this point in his career. He's become, largely, a between the tackles pound the football type back that has to really rely on the OL in front of him. He's not even really all that great, like he was in 2016, in the passing game.
How would you describe Elliott at this point? Do you think he's an elite level back who has big play ability?
He hasn't been that great in pass game, for one,.. the obvious loss of burst and breakaway ability.
Two - And it doesn’t help matters that this current OC doesn’t place much creativity emphasis on the RBs in pass game.
It’s not just Zeke.
Even with Tony Pollard and his 4.37 speed and run skills ,why can’t/hasn't he been more dangerous in pass game under Kellen Moore ?
Aside from the lone slot TD vs Detroit, what have we seen from Pollard in the pass game, ?... Dump off passes ?
- The Quick RB screens were effective in 2016-17 era, but has become a dinosaur play under Kellen. He doesn’t appear to feel comfortable with it, and so it’s becomes less of a weaponry threat.
Irony is it’s the quick RB screens that manage to eat us alive on the other side of the ball on defense, but yet we cannot make it work for us , even with Pollard.
– Zeke is not shifty or elusive in pass game ala McCaffrery or Barkley, but we saw how he could be very effective and dangerous with those quick RB screens to homerun TDs
and some misdirection quick flair and wheel routes in early years
- You wanna know why Zeke has become more between the tackles runner (to which even Henry and Chubb are between tackle runners too) one matter is this is all Kellen knows,
I often wonder if he has been brain washed fed by past RB coaches (see Gary Brown) that they’ve persuaded him as to stay limited with this up the gut approach.
No split back formations, no misdirection counters, .and more and more up just the middle draw-plays, and lesser deep downhill handoffs.
