The Dallas Cowboys made a move against modern draft wisdom in the 2016 NFL Draft when the team selected Ohio State star Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth overall pick. Jerry Jones’ broke the current trend of passing on running backs high in the draft that has taken over the league, and the decision has paid huge early dividends so far.
Elliott’s play is electric so far as the Cowboys have relied heavily on their rookie over the first six games of the season. Four consecutive games with over 130 rushing yards for Elliott serves as a primary reason for the Cowboys success without Tony Romo this season. Elliott along with fellow rookie quarterback Dak Prescott have carried the offense so far, with the ground game leading the way as per usual in Dallas behind one of the best offensive lines in football.
Ezekiel Elliott is making history! He is the first rookie to have four straight 130-yard rushing games in NFL history. (via @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/3AILqqsz68
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 16, 2016
After a transitional year without DeMarco Murray where the Cowboys running game took a slight downturn with limited talent at running back, the production on the ground has returned in spades with Elliott in the picture. That offensive production has been particularly evident in the last three games for the Cowboys, where Elliott has rushed for 6.84 yards per carry.
Elliott’s best performance of the season came on Sunday at Lambeau Field as the Cowboys ran all over the Green Bay Packers in a 30-16 win. 157 yards from Elliott leading the way along with three passing touchdowns from Prescott as the Cowboys attack was clicking in a big way.
28 Carries.
157 yards.
Hurdles defenders.@EzekielElliott Can’t. Be. Stopped.💪 #DallasCowboys https://t.co/WiMScpmnO8— NFL (@NFL) October 17, 2016
The performance in Green Bay has also started the 2,000-yard hype for Elliott as the chatter has begun already surrounding the rookie’s chance to do something yet to be accomplished in the NFL. Making the 2,000-yard club in a rookie year, an accomplishment few have even come close to through the years.
The closest running back to the 2,000-yard mark in NFL history was Eric Dickerson, who rushed for 1,808 yards in 1983. Elliott is currently on pace to surpass that number, but will need to uptick his production if he wants to get to the 2,000-yard plateau.
At the bye week, Elliott is on pace for 1,875 rushing yards with ten games left in the season. Solid numbers, but numbers that are hindered by a slow start to the regular season where Elliott rushed for under 100 yards in the first two games of the season. 51 and 83-yard outings in those two games respectively have prevented Elliott from being closer to a 2,000-yard pace than he could be.
If Elliott can continue his hot stretch of play after the bye week, he very well could get himself on pace in a hurry before the midway point of the season. Especially if the Cowboys offensive gameplan continues to focus on him, which has been the case in most games as Elliott has only had under 20 carries once this season. 15 carries against the Cincinnati Bengals in a 134 yard Week 5 performance serves as the floor for Elliott carries. That floor is a big reason as to why Elliott could potentially get to the 2,000-yard mark as it appears the Cowboys do not plan on limiting their rookie to a certain number of touches this year.
If the Cowboys are willing to continue to hand the ball to Elliott at their current average of 22.5 carries per game, this 2,000-yard hype could have some weight to it. In 2014, DeMarco Murray fell short of the 2,000-yard mark for the Cowboys with 24.5 carries per game after he rushed for under 100 yards in Week 14 and Week 15 to end the season. Elliott could easily replicate Murray’s season if he continues his pace, but the 2,000-yard chase always comes down to consistency.
In 2014, Murray failed to rush for over 100 yards a total of four times for the Cowboys. All four of those games came in the second half of the season, which doesn’t bode well for Elliott with two sub-100 yard games already in his pocket. The wear and tear of the season could come into play, which will challenge a rookie who is playing his first 16 game season.
While the second half of the season could be a daunting task, the current rate at which Elliott is playing at combined with his consistent role in the Cowboys offense makes this 2,000-yard chatter at the bye week at least slightly valid. Elliott should get a full opportunity from his coaching staff to chase down the 2,000-yard mark if the Cowboys continue to operate without a pitch count on their young star. If the Cowboys keep up their pace on the ground, the hype will only grow as Elliott is building what could be a historic season in Dallas.
