Dallas Cowboys: 5 Most disappointing players at the bye
By Reid Hanson
Dallas Cowboys disappointment No. 3
Ezekiel Elliott, RB
For me, Ezekiel Elliott hasn’t been a disappointment at all this year. I entered the season seeing him as a replaceable part and almost completely dependent on the offensive line in front of him. All he’s done is prove to be just that.
The highest paid running back in the league is having his worst season as a pro, and in many ways, is getting outplayed by teammate Tony Pollard. Only now are teams gearing up to stop him by loading the box, but that says more about the Dallas Cowboys passing game than it does about “fearing Zeke”.
Tony Pollard came into '20 with the highest elusive rating in the NFL, 3rd in YPC, and 7th in brokentackle %. This season his yards after contact/carry is almost a yrd more than Ezekiel Elliott. No mystery why he's nearly doubled his snaps last 4 wks #DallasCowboys #CowboysNation
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) November 11, 2020
The honest truth is, Zeke’s been on the decline for quite a while and is far more reputation than actual substance these days. Teams stopped loading up the box to stop him last season, when 25 other RBs saw more 8+ man boxes than ol’ Zeke. This year he’s 35th in PFF’s elusive rating – something he can’t pin on the O-line or poor passing game.
Which receivers have cost their teams the most expected points from dropped passes this season?
— Anthony Reinhard (@reinhardNFL) November 12, 2020
Anthony Miller of the Bears tops the list despite having only four drops. Of those four, two were in the end zone and another resulted in an interception. pic.twitter.com/nxcsmXCnwJ
What came as a disappointing surprise this season is his fumble rate, and overall play on passing downs. Zeke has fumbled the ball more than ever before and by the numbers, has hurt the team far more than he’s helped the team (he has a negative EPA on the season).
On passing downs he’s been disappointing in both areas. He’s doing poorly in pass protection and he’s dropping too many costly passes. In the chart above, his drops rank as the most costly — not just on the Dallas team, but among the most costly in the entire NFL.
Zeke’s best asset is his ability to have no weaknesses. He was never the best at any one item, but his ability to do everything well made him a valuable commodity. That just isn’t true anymore and that’s why he makes the list today.