Dak Prescott is the reason Ezekiel Elliott disappeared Week 1

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott changed nearly half of the team’s run calls based on coverage, affecting running back Ezekiel Elliott’s play.

The Cowboys may have lost in their Week 1 match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but quarterback Dak Prescott employed a winning strategy: he swapped out plays based on defensive looks.

According to Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Prescott sauntered the field equipped with a run play 28 times. On 12 of those times, Prescott checked out the play based on how the defense looked.

The revelation bodes well for Prescott, who returns to the NFL following a gruesome leg injury in Week 5 of 2020. Prescott nearly led the Cowboys to a win last Thursday, passing for 403 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

While making adjustments at the line of scrimmage makes for great quarterbacking, it also means less usage of the team’s running back — in this case, Ezekiel Elliott.

Cowboys: Dak Prescott limited Ezekiel Elliott’s Week 1 production

Elliott and Prescott both entered the NFL in the 2016 Draft, but Elliott developed a perception as one of the NFL’s most elite running backs. Their recent contracts prove how each was valued by the Cowboys: Elliott quickly signed a massive deal, while Prescott’s negotiations dragged out for months.

While Prescott was sidelined last year, Elliott played and demonstrated decreased productivity. Former Cowboys running back Maurice Jones-Drew ranked Elliott as the sixth-best running back heading into 2021. Elliott posted career-lows last season, running just under 1000 yards last season.

“This season feels like a make-or-break year for Zeke,” Jones-Drew wrote in his review. “The line is healthy, Dak is back and patience is wearing thin around Dallas. Based on Zeke’s social media accounts, he’ll be ready.”

Last season, the Cowboys battled a bevy of issues — but with a healthy Dak Prescott and offensive line, it will become abundantly clear whether Thursday’s game was about reads or about Zeke.