Cowboys rb ezekiel elliott may seem in decline, but it isn’t hard to see the avalanche of obstacles slowing him down

The numbers say Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is headed toward the worst season of his career. He’s averaging career lows in yards per carry (3.8) and per game (63.6). The goal of

winning a third NFL rushing title appears elusive, and the cries for more carries for Elliott’s backup, Tony Pollard, increase by the week. An avalanche of reasons could explain Elliott’s

lack of production. “It’s been tough, definitely,” Elliott said. “We’re (2-7), so obviously it’s been tough. But this is football. We can’t really use injuries, guys rotating in and out

every week, as an excuse. We have one job and that’s to go win the ballgame, so we have to figure that out.” THE OFFENSIVE LINE When the 2019 season ended, the Cowboys employed three Pro

Bowl offensive linemen: center Travis Frederick, left tackle Tyron Smith and right guard Zack Martin. Frederick retired in the offseason, citing an inability to perform at a high level on a

consistent basis. It left Elliott with Joe Looney at center, a career backup. And before the 2020 season would even begin, starting right tackle La’el Collins, coming off his best season,

would undergo season-ending hip surgery. After playing in just two games, Smith underwent neck surgery, ending his season. Martin missed a game for a concussion in Week 7. So Elliott has run

behind an offensive line that’s utilized four lineups including three left tackles, two centers and right guards and has lost two Pro Bowlers at some point during the season. Missing

players has had a compound effect on Elliott’s ability to make plays. He’s more of a two-step power runner who utilizes the strong push of the offensive line to get upfield. With the

offensive line at its peak, Elliott averaged 2.3 yards (2019) and 2.8 (2018) yards before contact. With a weaker offensive line Elliott, with the same style of running, averages just 1.8

yards before contact, a career low. In comparison, Pollard is one-step runner. He gets into running lanes faster but doesn’t play to contact between the tackles such as Elliott does. “When

he sees it, he hits it,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said of Pollard. “I think he’s taking advantage of those things. He’s doing a really phenomenal job of it. There were a few

opportunities in [the Steelers game]; certainly everyone saw that as soon as he sees it, he turns on the jets and he goes. There’s conviction with him, and he earns more opportunities as we

go. Feel really fortunate to have Zeke and Tony back there.” THE QUARTERBACK Before Dak Prescott went down with a season-ending leg injury in Week 5, Elliott wasn’t producing at a high rate,

but he was more of a threat. In the five weeks Prescott was healthy, Elliott averaged 4.09 yards per carry with five touchdowns. Defenses had to account for Prescott’s own abilities to run,

so it left Elliott with fewer defenders seeking him. With Prescott gone, the three quarterbacks the Cowboys used don’t carry the same respect, so defenses use more eight-man fronts.

According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Elliott has seen eight man fronts 24% of the time in 2020. Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook, second in the NFL with 858 rushing yards, sees eight-man fronts 31.25%

of the time. “I think Zeke is running really well,” Moore said. “Zeke’s just kinda the victim of some muddy looks, and sometimes those are the dirties, hardest 3-yard gains, and we need

them.” PLAYING WITH A LEAD Elliott is better suited when the Cowboys play with a lead and they can establish a balanced attack. This season, the Cowboys have been outscored 73-35 in the

first quarter. Elliott has had just five carries with the lead in the first quarter in 2020. Last season he had 15 such carries. And with the Cowboys having trailed in numerous games, it’s

also forced them to pass more in comparison to holding a fourth-quarter lead. Elliott carried the ball 35 times with a lead in the fourth quarter last season, and he’s had just four carries

this season with his team leading. So closing out games, an Elliott specialty, and something the Cowboys want to do, has eluded them. ARE HIS SKILLS DECLINING? When Elliott held out of

training camp before the 2019 season, the Cowboys gave him the highest contract for a player at his position, with a six-year extension worth $90 million. It has an average salary of $15

million. Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey signed a four-year extension worth $64 million this year that surpasses Elliott’s average salary with $16 million. Both have produced lower numbers

since becoming the highest-paid running backs, with injuries limiting McCaffrey to three games. Elliott’s durability is never a question, but since signing the contract the production is

down. He leads NFL running backs with five fumbles and four lost fumbles. He doesn’t make defenders miss as often as in the past. But the reasons he was successful — stronger offensive line,

top-flight quarterback and getting leads — are gone. So in the final seven weeks of the season, the Cowboys need to improve his game. “I think I could have played better,” Elliott said.

“Obviously I had the five fumbles that I wish I didn’t. But I think other than that, I’ve had a solid season.” +++ Find more Cowboys coverage from _The Dallas Morning News_ here. ex.co

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