Twitter: Zeke's declining yard average per year

[Motorola]

I'm not saying Zeke is worth his contract, we all know he's overpaid but the declining production is not ALL his fault...........OL and Kellen Moore raise your hand.


For reference, notice Derrick Henry's rushing attempts the last three years.....303, 378, 219 ( only 8 games). Last year he was on pace for 400+ carries






Keep in mind his targets/carries also declined

2016...15 games 322 carries
2017...10 games 242 carries
2018...15 games 304 carries
2019...16 games 301 carries
2020...15 games 244 carries ( MM 1st year as HC )
2021...17 games 232 carries


https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HenrDe00.htm

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/E/ElliEz00.htm

Big drop from Elliott's full season ( 2016, 2018, 2019) average of 300+ carries down to less than 240 for 2020 - 2021.

 

[G2]

I get the impression they gave him a choice to sit or play and HE chose to play. In other words, no team can force an injured player to play who doesn't want to. Their agents will eat them alive......
Remember Stephen was praising him for being a warrior after the season, this is what I think he was talking about. The fact he played through an injury when he could have shut it down.

As big a Zeke fan as I have been, regardless of my opinions of drafting RBs early, I couldn't possibly care less what Elliott wants. The fact that a staff would even give him that option boggles my mind. When a player is injured and a detriment to the offense, you get him healthy. You don't run him into the ground when the running game in general wasn't balanced or a major threat to anyone.

 

[Proof]

Zeke is washed.

Everyone knows it. He knows it. The coaches know it. Jerry knows it.

He is just another anchor on this team at this point and we should move on as quickly as possible. Oh, and NEVER draft another RB high!

What did you think of his play through the first month or so? I thought he looked pretty damn, great and was eating a bit of crow. That obviously faded quickly w/ the injury, but I'm curious what you thought initially

 

[Motorola]

He was injured and he isn’t getting as many carry’s. Need better O-Line play. And the playcalling could be better instead of up the gut. So he could hurry and get to a pass play call. This next year needs some commitment to the run and some variety. Some toss plays or off tackle stuff.

Two-man backfield at times - Elliott and Pollard lined up as halfbacks.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Big drop from Elliott's full season ( 2016, 2018, 2019) average of 300+ carries down to less than 240 for 2020 - 2021.

+1......2021 was actually 17 games

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Two-man backfield at times - Elliott and Pollard lined up as halfbacks.

Baffles me why we don't see more of this from KM......

 

[ICP]

Yeah that contract looks better and better all the time

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

What did you think of his play through the first month or so? I thought he looked pretty damn, great and was eating a bit of crow. That obviously faded quickly w/ the injury, but I'm curious what you thought initially

I was hopeful, but then it was all downhill from there.

Maybe he was hurt, but if he doesn't sustain it this year then he should at least split carries with Pollard, because Pollard looked better last year I thought.

 

[CouchCoach]

Playing time is directly related to star quality.

 

[RonnieT24]

We can say goodbye to Zeke getting 300+ carries as long as Kellen Moore is calling the plays. That's not the style he wants to play so Zeke is relegated to pass blocking 40-45 times a game and running it maybe 15. Whether people want to accept it or not, the fact that the OC wants to be a 70% passing offense is the main reason Zeke plays over Pollard not their contracts. Moore doesn't want to run the ball regardless of who is back there so if you're going to throw it 45-50 times a game the guy who is the better pass protector is the better choice. Especially when your line is struggling the way ours did last season. I will always come back to the fact that up until he got hurt Zeke was second in the NFL in rushing and averaging 5.5 yards per carry. And that was even WITH the line often not blocking worth a damn. But football is a merciless biatch so his body probably wasn't going to let him sustain that pace for 300 carries anyway so it is smart to mix in Pollard for 30-40% of the snaps. The problem is the more Pollard plays the more likely HE is likely to be and so is Dak.

Clearly I don't like the way Zeke is being used under Moore but I have no delusions it's going to change. So all I can do is hope the guys figure out how to make something great out of the horse bleep plays he sends in all too often. I'm not going to pile on Zeke for how he played after he got hurt. He clearly had no business out there and I will always maintain that everybody involved in making the call to keep him out there should be fired. Or at least docked some game checks.

 

[ChronicCowboy]

Definitely has nothing to do with the offensive line deteriorating.

 

[morasp]

If they can upgrade the Connor Williams with someone like Kenyon Green and find a better OC I think Elliot can still be a good RB. Even with last years OL He averaged 4.67 YPC before his injury and 3.57 after. .

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Definitely has nothing to do with the offensive line deteriorating.

are you serious?

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

In years 9, 10, 11 and 12 of his career Emmitt had over 1200 yards. I don't recall anyone saying he had too much tread on his tires. All I remember people says is Emmitt always had a good offensive line.

I don't like Zeke's contract, but I still think he can produce at a high level. The team just needs to fix the offensive line and quit running up the middle so much.

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Does Dallas call running plays that stay away from Shultz? Because they know if they run to Shultz's side, that's a tackle for a loss.

 

[RonnieT24]

In years 9, 10, 11 and 12 of his career Emmitt had over 1200 yards. I don't recall anyone saying he had too much tread on his tires. All I remember people says is Emmitt always had a good offensive line.

I don't like Zeke's contract, but I still think he can produce at a high level. The team just needs to fix the offensive line and quit running up the middle so much.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Does Dallas call running plays that stay away from Shultz? Because they know if they run to Shultz's side, that's a tackle for a lost.

Well when they run away from him the backside DE/OLB blows by him and runs the play down from the backside so it doesn't much matter if they run to his side or not. I do actually remember people complaining about Emmitt having "lost a step" as he entered the latter half of his career but he proved that if you gave him decent blocking he could still perform at a top 5-10 level.

After a certain age (and number of miles on the tires) a back simply isn't going to be able to put the team on his back for long stretches but great ones can still do it for a game or two or take over for a series or two every game.. I think Zeke is such a back.. His problem is that Moore isn't going to let him carry this team very often. I think we had a 3 game stretch last season where we NEVER called consecutive run plays.. I think it was like the Thanksgiving game, the Ratscum game and the Nawlins games.. I think there was an even longer stretch without three consecutive run plays. It's like Moore is scared to let the running game get off. Doesn't matter if they get 2 yards or 20.. the next three plays WILL be passes more often than not.

 

[john van brocklin]

I'm not saying Zeke is worth his contract, we all know he's overpaid but the declining production is not ALL his fault...........OL and Kellen Moore raise your hand.


For reference, notice Derrick Henry's rushing attempts the last three years.....303, 378, 219 ( only 8 games). Last year he was on pace for 400+ carries






Keep in mind his targets/carries also declined

2016...15 games 322 carries
2017...10 games 242 carries
2018...15 games 304 carries
2019...16 games 301 carries
2020...15 games 244 carries ( MM 1st year as HC )
2021...17 games 232 carries


https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HenrDe00.htm

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/E/ElliEz00.htm

Would love to know his 40yd time as a rookie vs now.
He looks slower and does not have the burst he used to have.
I would be absolutely shocked if he is on the team in 365 days.

 

[quickccc]

There are a ton of miles on his tires going all the way back to Ohio State. Zeke has had a ton of punishment on his body and even though he’s only 26, with his workload he’s more like 30. He may actually be more effective as part of a RBBC than being the workhorse. But I don’t think JJ will allow. His highest paid players MUST play full time. It’s part of his marketing plan.

- I thought Urban Meyer played other RBs to help share the load with Zeke at Ohio state. (ala Carlos Hyde)
But zeke was brutalized and workload pounded when Garrett got a hold of him at the NFL level- especially in 2018 when he only had
useless Rod Smith as a relief reserve.

- Just as we saw the wear and tear of guys like Larry Johnson, Chris Johnson, from coaches that were so bell cow depended on backs, we may likely
be seeing the same path with Zeke.

- Garrett regime seemed like they wanted Zeke to be Emmitt Smith like 2.0 pounding bell cow, ..bulked him up and beat him down.
Thus the burst he was noted for zipped- appeared. And even blitz- blocking as much as he does, it takes a toll on the body,.
. and he wasn't never the most overly elusive stop-restart miss guy.

- Opposing defenses do not fear Zeke anymore. They do not have to game plan for him anymore. They used to be frightened of his burst and home run speed- even on
quick RB screens passes. (ala Steelers/ Niners TDs) ..but this version lumbers. and he cannot explode in and out of holes as the 2016 version.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Would love to know his 40yd time as a rookie vs now.
He looks slower and does not have the burst he used to have.
I would be absolutely shocked if he is on the team in 365 days.

I agree this is likely his season as a Cowboy

 

[quickccc]

Well when they run away from him the backside DE/OLB blows by him and runs the play down from the backside so it doesn't much matter if they run to his side or not. I do actually remember people complaining about Emmitt having "lost a step" as he entered the latter half of his career but he proved that if you gave him decent blocking he could still perform at a top 5-10 level.

After a certain age (and number of miles on the tires) a back simply isn't going to be able to put the team on his back for long stretches but great ones can still do it for a game or two or take over for a series or two every game.. I think Zeke is such a back.. His problem is that Moore isn't going to let him carry this team very often. I think we had a 3 game stretch last season where we NEVER called consecutive run plays.. I think it was like the Thanksgiving game, the Ratscum game and the Nawlins games.. I think there was an even longer stretch without three consecutive run plays. It's like Moore is scared to let the running game get off. Doesn't matter if they get 2 yards or 20.. the next three plays WILL be passes more often than not.

i had hoped Zeke would re-vamp, re-conditioned his body back to the 2016 version. we could tell by comparing his OSU photo vs his 2018 photo version that he had bulked up a bit.
Elliott sought to trained with ex NFL back Skip Hicks.to re-kettle that form - but i never saw the tripper body frame, plus he never regained the high hurdle agility he had when
he was hurdling over whiffing defenders such as when he came into the NFL.

The Track & Field background. .. that's actually what i thought he'd trained and re-conditioned himself back to ..vs running around bags and trying to be more elusive.
Maybe he did slim down ..at the offseason time, but i did not notice one difference in his body once the reg season started and it took the field.

That patented Adrian Peterson like burst and explosion, .. i still did not see it.
Once it got to the more competitive teams down the stretch, that's when i was hoping it would show up. It never did.
Now zeke had some early season productive games vs Carolina, Chargers, Philly, but too many times not vs the better teams such as Pats, Denver, etc.

 

[Proof]

I was hopeful, but then it was all downhill from there.

Maybe he was hurt, but if he doesn't sustain it this year then he should at least split carries with Pollard, because Pollard looked better last year I thought.

yeah i mean i feel like even if he does look good it should be more of an even split, pollard is electric. just have a glimmer of hope that zeke isn’t finished