Decision to not force-feed Elliott in opener right one
FRISCO — Leading up to the season opener Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys felt confident in how best to attack the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense.
Some affirmation came on their first possession.
Three of the opening six plays were Dak Prescott passes, each completed for a combined 39 yards. The other three were Ezekiel Elliott carries. Those totaled 10.
In a matchup against a formidable front, playing without All-pro right guard Zack Martin (COVID-19), offensive coordinator Kellen Moore elected to call what worked. After Elliott saw three touches in the first five snaps, the next 13 plays were passes. Elliott went 19 snaps without touching the football.
So be it.
There will be many games this season when the Cowboys' best chance at victory involves leaning on their star running back. Week 1 wasn't necessarily one of them. Wisely, a Moore-orchestrated offense demonstrated a willingness to adapt, identifying where an opponent was most vulnerable and structuring the game plan accordingly.
This time, the approach did not result in a win. The Cowboys lost 31-29 on a field goal with two seconds remaining. But it was the right approach nonetheless.
A slogan is tattooed across Elliott's stomach.
It reads “Feed Me,” not “Force Feed Me.”
The 26-year-old is widely regarded inside The Star as a strong teammate. Ask him to carry the football 30 times, he will do so. Ask him to split out to wide receiver seven times, to pass block eight times compared to 11 carries, to be on the field for a careerhigh 58 pass plays in 70 snaps, he showed Thursday he will do that, too.
Elliott helped in pass protection. He once lined up at fullback, plunging through contact to earn a hard-fought first down. He did what good teammates do.
Whatever is asked. And because he is one of the NFL'S top running backs, he did so at a high level.
“Zeke is a complete football player,” Cowboys coach Mike Mccarthy said. “I clearly understand the success he had rushing the football early in his career, but he's a joy to work with. I love the way he goes about it. He's in great shape. He does all the little
things. He has great understanding of the game. He's very instinctive. So, we just got to get him some more touches.”
In time.
Two years ago, the Cowboys awarded Elliott a six-year, $90 million contract. No one should have watched Thursday's game, seen Elliott play unselfishly and questioned, “Why did the Cowboys give him all
that money if they weren't going to give him the ball more?”
There certainly is an argument to be made that, regardless of Elliott's talents, it is not in a franchise's best interest to devote that much money to a running back. But how much Elliott earns should not inform how many carries he sees.
Situations should.
Matchups should. In time, those will point to Elliott attempting more than his 11 carries Thursday for 33 yards. He added two receptions for 6.
“I thought he played with the same energy from the start to finish,” Mccarthy said. “I think the reality of it is he played 70 plays in the game, and because he wasn't carrying the ball, carrying the load, he was still fresh. He was the same. He played at the same level at the end of the game as he was earlier in the game.
“With his run style, if you're up in 25, 30-type carry games, that's a whole different type of physical load on him. So, I thought he was into it on the sidelines, and he didn't seem any different at the beginning than at the end.”
Credit Elliott for, by and large, doing what was asked of him.
Credit Moore and the Cowboys for not asking for too much.