Why there should be no questions about Ezekiel Elliott’s status as the Cowboys’ top RB after 2020 season - The Dallas Morning News

Questions will arise throughout the offseason about the futures of Sean Lee, Mike Nolan, Dak Prescott, Jaylon Smith, Chidobe Awuzie, Connor Williams among others affiliated with the Cowboys.

There should be no questions about starting running back Ezekiel Elliott.

If Sunday told you anything about Elliott, his place with this team is secured.

He finished the 2020 season with 14 carries for 42 yards and one touchdown in the 23-19 loss to the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

You can’t blame this loss on Elliott.

Mike McCarthy is at the top of the list here when it comes to blame in this season-ending defeat. There is a ledger of other items listing the ways this game got away from the Cowboys: A poor first half start linked with the erratic play of quarterback Andy Dalton, the defenses struggles and McCarthy’s failure to challenge a catch by Giants receiver Dante Pettis in the fourth quarter are Page 1. You could list McCarthy’s decision to kick the point-after-try instead of going for two, following Elliott’s third-quarter score, on Page 2.

Elliott played with a physical presence the running back position commands. Elliott knocked the snot out of Giants corner James Bradberry to covert a needed third and three in the fourth quarter. He scored the first touchdown of the day for Dallas, on a one-yard run, thanks to a second effort. There was a carry where it was clear he would lose at least one yard but he slipped past defensive end Leonard Williams, a man who just wrecked the Cowboys offensive line on Sunday, to gain three yards. On a fourth-and-1, Dalton gained 11 yards on a fake to Elliott, which drew the Giants defense to the running back.

Elliott left the game briefly in the first half with a quad injury that just couldn’t get warmed up enough in the cold weather.

He wasn’t perfect and if questions developed regarding his status for 2021, they should just stop.

“You said, do I feel like I am underappreciated? No. Not at all,” Elliott said. “I said it before, I don’t really worry. I don’t worry about what is going on outside this locker room, because really that doesn’t matter. All that matters is my teammates and my coaches and ownership, and they have been supportive of me all year. It has been a rough one. But, I mean, just had to grind it out and we, we ended up short, but we will be back stronger next year for sure.”

Tony Pollard emerged as the fan favorite to replace Elliott. His day ended with five carries for 15 yards and three catches for 18 yards.

There is nothing wrong with Pollard, he’s a solid No. 2 running back who displays more speed than Elliott and can probably do damage to defenses in open space. It doesn’t appear the Cowboys view Pollard more than a No. 2.

In a game the Cowboys needed to win, they relied on some key people to help. Elliott was asked to do more than Pollard. Dalton after playing a miserable 30 minutes, was sensational the final 30 minutes of the season. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was busy with four tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries. Receiver Amari Cooper had six catches and 41 yards and a near touchdown if not for a foot sticking to the sidelines. And then we have Elliott scoring the only touchdown of the game, his first rushing touchdown since Week 5.

It just wasn’t enough.

When the Cowboys conduct their virtual exit meetings and player evaluations over the next few weeks, looking at Elliott’s 979 rushing yards and six touchdowns should be viewed as a positive. He played through hamstring and quad issues and an offensive line missing three starters.

Elliott was a hunted man once Prescott went down. Yet, Elliott didn’t play with the same burst or make defenders miss as much as he used to. He tied a career-high with six fumbles, losing five, a career-high in itself.

But the contract keeps him here. His 2021 base salary of $9.6 million is fully guaranteed. If the Cowboys release him, it’s $24.5 million in dead money they must carry. If he’s on the roster on the fifth day of the 2021 League Year, his $12.4 million base salary in 2022 becomes guaranteed. So everything he’s played through from nagging injuries, fumbles and inconsistency of the offense, this was a down year for him.

Yet his roster spot shouldn’t change for 2021.

“We have a great group of men in this locker room, and I am proud of them,” he said. “I mean, just gotta learn from this and figure out how to come back stronger next year.”

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