Ezekiel Elliott is proof that life in the NFL can become a bit tougher when teams have more game film on you, and the results have been a more modest on-field performance through three games than the one he wowed us with in 2016. But if you think that has anything to do with him already losing a step, think again.
In the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Elliott broke off a season-long 30-yard run that some feel he could have taken to the house. Did he fail to get to the end zone because he is slower this year than he was last year?
“Shut up,” Elliott responded when asked that question this week, according to Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Elliott’s big gain came on third down when he hit a hole up the middle. He bounced it to the outside rather than running north-south, and he feels he made the right choice.
“I think I gained more yards the way I ran it,” he said.
Elliott finished the game with 80 yards on 22 carries, but 30 of them came on one play. That means he averaged just 2.4 yards per carry on his other 21 totes. The week before, Elliott finished with a career-worst eight yards on nine carries in a loss to the Denver Broncos.
“We’ve had a little bit of growing pains in the first couple of games, but we’re getting there,” he said. “We’re getting into a rhythm and plan on getting better every week.”
It’s highly unlikely that Elliott, who is still only 22, has lost any of his burst. The more logical explanation is that teams are trying to overwhelm the Cowboys’ outstanding offensive line to bottle up Elliott, forcing Dak Prescott to beat them with his arm. The Broncos clearly committed to doing that, and it worked to perfection.
Of course, Elliott is also still dealing with the off-field drama of his domestic violence case. He’s been criticized — most notably by a Hall of Fame running back — for not giving full effort during the Denver game, so it’s possible focus has been an issue for the former Ohio State star through the early part of the year.
