Ezekiel Elliott 'Perfect Game'? Zeke on 'The Beauty' of Dallas Cowboys at Rams
The good times continue to roll for the 2022 Dallas Cowboys.
Though a hand injury to starting quarterback Dak Prescott could have derailed their season before it truly began, Dallas has secured three straight wins, including a 25-10 victory over their NFC East-rival Washington Commanders on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
While Prescott has been sidelined, Cowboys backup signal caller Cooper Rush has gallantly navigated the team, utilizing a solid group of receivers to effectively move the ball.
In addition to Rush’s emergence, Dallas is also re-establishing its running game behind feature back Ezekiel Elliott. After a slow start to 2022, the 27-year-old ran for 49 yards on 19 carries while catching two passes for 32 yards on two targets in Week 4.
No, Zeke and the running game haven't been consistently dominant. But, Elliott said this week, there is "beauty'' in that.
“That’s the beauty of it: we haven’t been playing the perfect game,'' he said. "We’ve been playing far from perfect, but we’re finding ways to go win ballgames. That’s what’s most important, especially in those division battles.
"We got plenty of room to grow.”
The Ohio State product currently ranks 19th in the NFL having gained 227 yards on the ground, with only one rushing touchdown. Though Elliott’s numbers are respectable, they fall short of the lofty expectations placed on his shoulders.
Some have argued that since signing a six year, $90 million contract extension with Dallas in 2019, Elliott’s statistical output has waned a bit. Following a notable slide in 2020 (in which Elliott failed to reach the 1000-yard mark for the first time since his suspension-shortened season of 2017), the OSU product ran for 1002 yards on 237 carries, compiling 10 touchdowns. Though the timing of his extension contract does correspond with his slight decline, it should be noted that Elliott has been a mainstay on the Cowboys’ injury report over the past two seasons — playing through hamstring, calf, knee and ribs injuries.
Still, Elliott was able to flash his ability to be a significant factor in the Cowboys offense, even when he was not dominating their ground attack.
Washington’s defense dedicated much effort and resources to help contain Dallas’ running game. Despite its negative effect on Elliott’s Week 4 stat sheet, the attention paid to the Cowboys running backs allowed Rush 15 of 27 passes for 223 yards with two touchdown passes.
Although the Commanders may have had some mild success in selling out against the run, Elliott’s efforts played a key role in the Cowboys victory. With the defending Super Bowl champion-Los Angeles Rams waiting in the wings on Sunday, Oct. 9, Elliott will once again be called upon to help pace a Dallas offense which will need its best effort in Week 5.
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