Elliott's playing status remains murky, but on Sunday, he provided a spark the Cowboys have been missing.
Ezekiel Elliott’s second NFL season was shaping up to be a disappointment, until he ran all over the 49ers on Sunday.
It came at the perfect time for the Cowboys. Dallas was
coming off of a two-game skid and needed to bounce back against the
winless 49ers. The Cowboys were able to get the offense going again
thanks to Elliott’s 219-yard, three-touchdown game.
Elliott ran for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns in his
rookie season, and he added 363 yards and a touchdown through the air.
It was also a primary reason the Cowboys finished 13-3 and locked up the
top seed in the NFC for the postseason. Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
This year, the Cowboys are 3-3 after their 40-10 win over
the 49ers. They’re ranked third in the NFC East, behind the Eagles and
Washington. Off the field,
Elliott is in the middle of an ongoing legal battle with the NFL
over his six-game suspension stemming from domestic violence
allegations by a former girlfriend. It has left his playing status in
doubt from week to week.
On Sunday, he looked much more like the rookie version of
himself than the guy who ran for a total of 8 yards against the Broncos
earlier this season. Here’s what made it happen.
The Cowboys’ blocking was better against the 49ers
Elliott’s first score on Sunday came on a pretty basic
1-yard run. The Cowboys capitalized on a 49ers fumble on their own
25-yard line, and Elliott punched it in.
Textbook blocking sprung Elliott for his second touchdown of the game.
The Cowboys had the best offensive line in the league
last season, but they lost two starters this offseason: Ronald Leary
signed with the Broncos in free agency, and Doug Free retired. La’el
Collins took over for Free at right tackle. Jonathan Cooper is starting
at left guard, Leary’s old spot.
It takes time for the line to develop the chemistry it
needs after offseason changes. Their play has been inconsistent this
year as a result. That wasn’t the case on Sunday. On Elliott’s second
touchdown, Cooper and Collins in particular — as well as tight end Jason Witten — blocked aggressively to create a clear lane for Elliott right up the middle.
While the bulk of the yards on the ground came from
Elliott, blocking helped the run game as a whole absolutely kill it
against the Niners. The team ended up with 265 yards total on the
ground.
Elliott came into the week averaging just 3.7 yards per
carry this season, well below the 5.1 yards he averaged per touch last
year. On Sunday, he managed a whopping 5.7 yards per carry. And he
recognized the offensive line’s role in that.
The line was solid in the passing game, too. They didn’t
allow a sack all game, and Prescott was just hit once. But their impact
was seen most in the run game.
Pro Football Focus gave Elliott the highest grade for
this game for his dominant play. Right guard Zack Martin and Cooper
stood out among the linemen. Martin has played well in general this
season, earning PFF’s highest grade
along the Cowboys’ offensive line. But Cooper’s play against the 49ers
showed dramatic improvement. He’s averaged a grade of 46.8 for his play
this season. On Sunday, he earned an above-average grade of 78.1.
It’s the most effective this unit has looked all year. It showed in Elliott’s stat line. Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
Elliott’s success on the ground opened up the passing game
Elliott also helped out through the air. His 72 receiving yards all came on this single beautiful touchdown play.
It’s a simple screen pass, and Elliott finds a lane thanks to a well-timed block from Martin and a little help from receiver Brice Butler. Then, he’s gone.
Dez Bryant
and Jason Witten were both able to pull off some big plays against the
49ers. Bryant finished with seven catches for 63 yards and a touchdown,
and Witten had four catches for 54 yards and this incredible one-handed touchdown catch. Prescott finished with 234 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 134.
The way Elliott dismantled the 49ers’ defense on the
ground kept them honest. They had to adjust to try to limit the damage
Elliott was doing in the run game. That opened things up for other
players, and it helped Dallas control the clock and wear down the 49ers.
The Cowboys had the ball for 32:50 of the game.
It was exactly what the Cowboys failed to do in their
42-17 loss to the Broncos. Denver’s game plan was to force Dak Prescott
to pass, and the Broncos were able to lock in on that because they
completely shut Elliott down. It’s much more difficult for defenses to
contain this balanced Dallas offense.
It was the best game of Elliott’s career so far
Elliott’s 219 combined yards — 147 rushing, 72 receiving —
and three touchdowns were the most he’d had in a single game as a pro.
His stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story, though.
Before Sunday, his best game so far this season was
against the Giants in Week 1, when he had 140 rushing and receiving
yards combined. He has only exceeded 147 rushing yards twice in his
career, with 157 yards against the Packers and 159 against the
Buccaneers last season.
It’s tempting to take this performance with a grain of
salt because it came against the 0-7 49ers. But San Francisco is more
competitive than its record suggests. This was the first game since Week
1 that the 49ers have lost by a margin larger than three points. The
run defense went into Week 7 ranked No. 18 in the league for rushing
yards allowed per game. After Elliott’s performance, the Niners run
defense dropped to 29th in the league.
"I felt ready to go out there and play ball," Elliott said after the game, via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. "I'm not going to say I didn't feel ready earlier in the season. I felt the same.”
"But I think all together this team we had a different
mentality coming into today and I think we're at the right place in the
season." Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
The Cowboys need this version of Elliott on the field each week
The dip in Elliott’s production through the first five
weeks of the season is part of the reason Dallas finds itself ranked
third in the NFC East, looking up at Washington and first-place
Philadelphia. If this game wasn’t an anomaly for Elliott and he returns
to his 2016 season form, Dallas still has a shot at the division.
Of course, that’s contingent upon Elliott’s availability to play. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30 on the NFLPA’s motion for a preliminary injunction that would delay his six-game suspension until Elliott’s court case against the NFL is complete.
The 3-3 Cowboys were favored to win the division before
the season started. Dallas hasn’t looked like the same team that went
13-3 last year, but losses to the Rams and Packers were close. This team
could easily be 5-1. If Elliott keeps running like this, and if the
court lets him keep playing, it could be enough to turn this Cowboys
season around.
5 thoughts from Cowboys' 40-10 win over 49ers, including two good signs from Dallas' offense
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers
are building to win in the future. The Cowboys are built to win now.
Dallas did what it was supposed to do Sunday, defeating the winless
49ers and improving to 3-3.
Here are my thoughts on the Cowboys' 40-10 win at Levi’s Stadium.
Yes, they were playing one of the NFL's worst teams, but the running game appears to finally be back on track. Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
Here are my thoughts on the Cowboys' 40-10 win at Levi’s Stadium.
1. Zeke was fed
Ezekiel Elliott was the best player on the field Sunday and he showed it over and over again. Elliott and the Cowboys running game picked up right where they left off before the bye. During the fourth quarter against Green Bay, Elliott rushed 13 times for 85 yards. He talked recently about how he thought that quarter of play might have kick-started the running game.Yes, they were playing one of the NFL's worst teams, but the running game appears to finally be back on track. Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
The schedule gets much tougher in the upcoming weeks,
but having that type of dominant performance could be a huge confidence
builder going forward. Obviously, Elliott needs to be available. A lot
will be determined in the next week-to-10 days regarding his possible
six-game suspension.
DeMarcus Lawrence, David Irving, Tyrone Crawford, Jaylon Smith and several others made key plays Sunday. More importantly the takeaways came in bunches, something not very common for this group. The Cowboys forced a total of three turnovers, two on defense.
The last time they had three takeaways: Almost a year ago against Tampa Bay.
The last time they finished plus-3 in turnover margin: Dec. 2014.
I can't say I expect them to reach that number every week, but like the running game, maybe this will get things headed in the right direction.
The most important thing for the Cowboys' defense is they are healthy. Not many teams can say that right now, so they need to take advantage.
2. Takeaways
If only the defense could play the 49ers every week.DeMarcus Lawrence, David Irving, Tyrone Crawford, Jaylon Smith and several others made key plays Sunday. More importantly the takeaways came in bunches, something not very common for this group. The Cowboys forced a total of three turnovers, two on defense.
The last time they had three takeaways: Almost a year ago against Tampa Bay.
The last time they finished plus-3 in turnover margin: Dec. 2014.
I can't say I expect them to reach that number every week, but like the running game, maybe this will get things headed in the right direction.
The most important thing for the Cowboys' defense is they are healthy. Not many teams can say that right now, so they need to take advantage.
3. Cooper over Kellen
Did the Cowboys know they were going to blow out the
49ers? Why else would they make Cooper Rush the backup over Kellen
Moore? Did they know he'd get a chance to play?
Well, either way, he did. And he did OK. He drove the Cowboys down the field and into the redzone on his first series. His final pass of that series was low and he might've been able to run for the first down, but he got some valuable work in an NFL game.
Does this mean Rush is the backup the rest of the way? I wouldn't necessarily say that. The Cowboys could still go back to Moore if they prefer a veteran when facing some tougher opponents in the upcoming weeks.
Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
Well, either way, he did. And he did OK. He drove the Cowboys down the field and into the redzone on his first series. His final pass of that series was low and he might've been able to run for the first down, but he got some valuable work in an NFL game.
Does this mean Rush is the backup the rest of the way? I wouldn't necessarily say that. The Cowboys could still go back to Moore if they prefer a veteran when facing some tougher opponents in the upcoming weeks.
Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
4. Dak to Dez
Another good sign for the offense was seeing Dak Prescott and Dez Bryant on the same page in the passing game. Bryant caught seven of his 10 targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. As I've said here before, the offense can't reach its potential without those two playing like they did Sunday.
Again, it was against an awful team, but they connected
on several different routes during the offense's most dominant showing
of the year.
Well, he's never going to be called that, but he can say he played safety and kicked in the same game. With Dan Bailey suffering a groin injury, Heath was called on to kick Sunday. He held his own on kickoffs and made two extra points. That doesn't mean he will handle those duties going forward, though.
If Bailey can't go next week, the Cowboys will sign a free agent kicker. If nothing else, it was fun to see a position player kicking in an NFL game.
5. Jeff Heath
Jeff Heath is one of the great two-way players of our generation.Well, he's never going to be called that, but he can say he played safety and kicked in the same game. With Dan Bailey suffering a groin injury, Heath was called on to kick Sunday. He held his own on kickoffs and made two extra points. That doesn't mean he will handle those duties going forward, though.
If Bailey can't go next week, the Cowboys will sign a free agent kicker. If nothing else, it was fun to see a position player kicking in an NFL game.
Ezekiel Elliott shows what Cowboys might miss
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- If this was Ezekiel Elliott's final game for the Dallas Cowboys until December, he left quite an impression.
When Judge Katherine Fallia of the Southern District of New York returns from a vacation, she will determine how much longer the running back can play. Elliott's hearing to fight a six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 30, but the NFL has asked it be heard this week. That could knock Elliott out of next week's contest against the Washington Redskins if he is not granted a preliminary injunction.
Without the injunction preventing the NFL's suspension, Elliott would be out until Dec. 10. With it, Elliott would probably be eligible to play the rest of the season.
With what Elliott did in Sunday's 40-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys are hoping Fallia sides with their running back.
Elliott was dominant. He rushed 26 times for 147 yards and scored on runs of 1 yard and 25 yards. He opened the second half with a 72-yard touchdown catch on a screen pass from Dak Prescott. His three touchdowns matched a career high. He also had three (two rushing, one receiving) in last year's win at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Elliott was coming off his best quarter of the season when he gained 85 yards on 13 carries in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' loss to the Green Bay Packers. He said last week that performance was "the closest we looked like to last year. I think it's good that we finally kind of hit that stride."
The Cowboys were able to carry over the success against Green Bay to San Francisco. While the bye week allowed Elliott time to rest his body, the offensive line used it to go over what they did best.
Of the Cowboys' first six plays, four went to Elliott for 25 yards, ending with his first touchdown. On the second drive, he used blocks from Jason Witten, La'el Collins and Zack Martin to slice his way through the San Francisco defense for a 25-yard touchdown.
To dispel any notion he did not have his top-end speed, Elliott went 72 yards on the first play of the third quarter, finding another gear as he tightly worked down the sideline before running over Dontae Johnson and carrying him into the end zone. Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
As much as Elliott looked like he did in 2016 running the ball, his touchdown catch was a lot like the 83-yard score he had on a screen against the Steelers.
Elliott's day ended after one drive in the fourth quarter. His 147 rushing yards were the third-most of his career and his most of the season. It was the third 100-yard game he has had this season and the second in a row.
Will he get a chance to make it three in a row? Or four in a row? Or five?
The Cowboys will have to turn their eyes to a New York courtroom to find out.
When Judge Katherine Fallia of the Southern District of New York returns from a vacation, she will determine how much longer the running back can play. Elliott's hearing to fight a six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 30, but the NFL has asked it be heard this week. That could knock Elliott out of next week's contest against the Washington Redskins if he is not granted a preliminary injunction.
Without the injunction preventing the NFL's suspension, Elliott would be out until Dec. 10. With it, Elliott would probably be eligible to play the rest of the season.
With what Elliott did in Sunday's 40-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys are hoping Fallia sides with their running back.
Elliott was dominant. He rushed 26 times for 147 yards and scored on runs of 1 yard and 25 yards. He opened the second half with a 72-yard touchdown catch on a screen pass from Dak Prescott. His three touchdowns matched a career high. He also had three (two rushing, one receiving) in last year's win at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Elliott was coming off his best quarter of the season when he gained 85 yards on 13 carries in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' loss to the Green Bay Packers. He said last week that performance was "the closest we looked like to last year. I think it's good that we finally kind of hit that stride."
The Cowboys were able to carry over the success against Green Bay to San Francisco. While the bye week allowed Elliott time to rest his body, the offensive line used it to go over what they did best.
Of the Cowboys' first six plays, four went to Elliott for 25 yards, ending with his first touchdown. On the second drive, he used blocks from Jason Witten, La'el Collins and Zack Martin to slice his way through the San Francisco defense for a 25-yard touchdown.
To dispel any notion he did not have his top-end speed, Elliott went 72 yards on the first play of the third quarter, finding another gear as he tightly worked down the sideline before running over Dontae Johnson and carrying him into the end zone. Click here to donate for free tuition University Education for the poor and you will richly be blessed by God
As much as Elliott looked like he did in 2016 running the ball, his touchdown catch was a lot like the 83-yard score he had on a screen against the Steelers.
Elliott's day ended after one drive in the fourth quarter. His 147 rushing yards were the third-most of his career and his most of the season. It was the third 100-yard game he has had this season and the second in a row.
Will he get a chance to make it three in a row? Or four in a row? Or five?
The Cowboys will have to turn their eyes to a New York courtroom to find out.
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