Cowboys need to get Ezekiel Elliott more involved in passing game

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 15: Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) scores a touchdown during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams on December 15, 2019 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2 of 3

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up before the game against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

The only reason why his draft stock declined a bit as the regular season approached was because of the contract dispute he was having with the organization. He held out during the preseason which made some people apprehensive taking him. Fortunately, Elliott and the Cowboys agreed on a deal just days before the start of the 2019 campaign and we all were excited to see how he was going to follow up his 2018 numbers.

The stats he compiled this year were great, but the pass-catching element we were introduced to last season disappeared once again. A lot of it had to do with Dak Prescott and how the Cowboys were trying to cater it to more of a passing attack. Unfortunately, that is not Dallas’s strength no matter how much they may deny it. Their bread and butter is the run game since they drafted Elliott fourth overall.

The play-callers strayed away from this philosophy and they were making Prescott throw passes deeper down the field to receivers to prove that the quarterback is worth the money for Jerry Jones to give an extension to. This failed pretty miserably as the Cowboys’ offense struggled to convert third downs in key situations all year long.

Prescott should have been passing the ball to his safety valve option Elliott more often last year. It could have helped them win some extra games and they may have found themselves in the postseason rather than sitting home at the beginning of January.

Elliott only caught 54 passes for 419 yards in 2019. While these numbers aren’t horrific in any way, they are certainly not of the same caliber as what he produced from a year earlier. He also was targeted only 72 times this year as compared to last year where he received 95. That’s a significant dip in the number of times he was receiving attention from his quarterback through the air.

His rushing production this year was just fine as it always has been. He had the second-most attempts while rushing for over 1,300 yards. That is how it has been and how it should always be.

Home/Fantasy Football