Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott spent the offseason with a new trainer getting in the best shape of his life and altering his running style.
The two-time NFL rushing champion is entering the third year of six-year, $90 million contract extension signed before the 2019 season. He came into 2021 season sleeker and quicker than ever with hopes of rebounding from a 2020 season when he finished with career lows in rushing yards (979) and yards per carry (4.0).
So to get 11 carries for paltry 33 yards and two catches for 6 yards in the 31-29 season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, the second-lowest combined production of his six-year career, had to be beyond frustrating for Elliott.
But he was not discouraged about his lack of touches and production.
“The game goes however it goes,” Elliott said. “I’m out there to play and do my best every play. I feel great.”
And consider the Cowboys thrilled with Elliott’s attitude and performance in a game the offense chose to lean heavily on the pass against a Buccaneers defense that ranked No. 1 in the league against the run last year.
“Really good, solid day I think by Zeke,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said. “Obviously the rushing production is an easy one to look at and say, Eh, wasn’t a great day. Protection was really good, caught a couple passes out there, got some completions. That was a unique game. I think Zeke’s a big-picture guy. He sees it.
“That was the No. 1 rushing defense in the NFL. We could bang our head against the wall if we want but at the end of the day I thought they did a good job stopping the run.”
The Cowboys hoped to be a little more balanced but the Buccaneers focused on stopping the run, especially with quarterback Dak Prescott playing in his first game since sustaining a fractured ankle last October.
So the Cowboys took with the defense gave them, passing 58 times while handing it off to Elliott and backup Tony Pollard just 14 times.
The disparity was augmented by the fact that Prescott checked out of called run plays to passes 12 times based on defensive looks. Moore called 28 rushing plays in the game.
The plan proved to be an unquestioned success as Prescott passed for 403 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys totaled 451 yards.
And on those 12 audibles from run to pass, the Cowboys averaged 4.8 yards per play.
“Those opportunities presented itself. I love that Dak took them,” Moore said. “We averaged 4.8 on all those. That is what you want in a run. We were still getting the same progress we were hoping for in the run game. Yards are yards whether it’s run or pass. We don’t get hung up on the category that they go in to.”
The most important thing about Elliott’s play is that he didn’t let his lack of production in the run game diminish his impact in the passing game as a blocker for Prescott.
Time after time, Elliott stood in there and took on a blitzing linebacker to give Prescott another tick to get the ball off.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Elliott was on the field for 70 plays and had the same attitude and energy from start to finish.
“I thought Zeke had a solid game,” McCarthy said. “He did a lot of the heavy lifting. But his pass protection — he didn’t get touches that you probably would have liked — was an extension in the pass game.
“Zeke is a complete football player. I clearly understand the success he had rushing the football early in his career, but he’s a joy to work with. I love the way he goes about it. He’s in great shape. He does all the little things. He has great understanding of the game. He’s very instinctive.”
McCarthy and Moore plan to get Elliott more touches, hopefully starting Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The game plan will be dictated by the matchup. But there is no disappointment or frustration with Elliott or from Elliott.
“We’re going to have other games where people are going to play two-high shell and give us an opportunity to run the football and Zeke’s going to be ready to rock and roll there,” Moore said. “It’s a long season, different matchups, different defensive schemes when we’re going to need Zeke to pound it. Could be this week.
“He’s always ready but he does a great job and he handles all these different circumstances so well. That’s the exciting thing about him.”