FRISCO, TEXAS — There is an abundance of talent on the Cowboys’ offense. It is no secret that Kellen Moore has no shortage of weapons to baffle defenses in 2020. A lot of excitement and chatter surrounding Dallas’ receiving corps. with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb, but do not forget about the club’s two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott.
The downhill back faced criticism after averaging a career-low 84.8 yards per game in 2019 following a massive contract extension just prior to the start of the season. Zeke got his money but the Cowboys did not get the yards on the field. There was a lot of speculation and question marks raised on the workhorse’s dip in production so to speak, but when Mike McCarthy was asked about Zeke’s lack of 20-plus yard runs in 2019, he silenced the doubters.
“ I am not as concerned about that. The guy I saw on film was the guy getting four-plus yards every time he touched the ball if you look at his averages and if you break it down by his outside zone, and his inside zone, and his tight zone runs. He does them all very well…there is no flaws there as far as him as a runner.”
He may be coming in with an extra chip on his shoulder but doubt only fuels the fire.
“ I think I do have a lot to prove, “ Zeke told media via conference call on Monday. “ I just have high expectations for myself and that’s not something you can go and force. You just gotta grind and go to work everyday and let it happen.”
He certainly has the right kind of attitude that will translate to the field. Last season, at times he did not make defenders miss in the open field resulting in less big runs but that is not a full representation of production. He had great vision and finished runs between tackles. Zeke also made an impact in the passing game with screens and becoming more versatile is his focus moving forward. He honed in on pass catching during the virtual offseason program.
“ I think this offseason I really didn’t do anything from the backfield. I did a lot of stuff from out at receiver and in the slot and just trying to evolve my game there, just so I can be more of a viable source in the pass game.”
His versatility will play a major role in Moore’s new run schemes, along with incorporating his second-year complement Tony Pollard. Pollard proved to be a reliable backup last season and took advantage of his 199 snaps with three touchdowns and 562 yards. Both backs were utilized in a combination of runs and catches during the 7-on-7-team drill period, per David Helman.
Anticipate more plays with both No.21 and 20 on the field together in the upcoming season. Zeke was asked about what that would do to defenses and it seems the possibilities are endless.
“ It creates mismatches. I mean, he can be the lead blocker; I can be the lead blocker while he’s running. He can go line up at slot or I’m in the backfield protecting and I can go line up in the slot while he’s in the backfield protecting. There’s just so many different things we can do and so many different ways we can line up and different plays and looks we can give em, so it just kinda has to keep the defense on their toes.”
