Ezekiel Elliott has been on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster since 2016. The former Ohio State man has been a fan favorite ever since he impressed during his rookie year.
He was named starting running back in 2016 itself ahead of veteran rushers like Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden. Zeke ended his debut season as the top rusher in the league with 1,631 yards to his name.
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However, his form has since declined over the last couple of seasons. This drop in performance levels didn’t sit well with the fans. In fact, the fans made their displeasure quite apparent, so much so that the 24-year-old was forced to take to social media to set the record straight.
Check the stats. Since I entered this league I have dominated year in, year out. Put some RESPECT on my name.
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) July 16, 2020
On Friday’s episode of Good Morning Football, hosted by Kay Adams, Nate Burleson, Peter Schrager, Kyle Brandt, and Michael Robinson, they picked up Zeke’s tweet as the topic of discussion.
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Dallas Cowboys’ star Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Elliott on the decline?
Zeke tweeted yesterday: "Put some RESPECT on my name".
Does he deserve more respect??
The crew weighs in ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/MTxZ2jHsOI
— GMFB (@gmfb) July 17, 2020
“I thought those tweets stopped me in my tracks. I actually stopped thinking because Zeke has been kicked down to the second tier and I’ve probably done that myself. So, why did that happen?”
“Zeke Elliott has been a monster in a couple of playoff games. He’s played really well against Philly over the course of his career, he plays well against the NFC East.”
“But I don’t think anyone has ‘straight-dissed’ him necessarily. So what is the problem?” said Kyle Brandt, one of the hosts on GMFB.
He’s great but he needs to do better things, says former NFL analyst
Brandt further went on to talk about what separates Zeke from the rest of the in-form RB’s in the league at the moment.
“Here’s my perception, when you watch him play, he doesn’t necessarily have the allure of watching McCaffrey or Saquon or Derrick Henry. He doesn’t have those breathtaking highlights.”
There are a lot of great backs in this league but I don’t understand why the media has to talk down on my game just to uplift other backs. We all are talented football players and can ball.
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) July 16, 2020
“Here’s a cold-hard fact, over the last three seasons Ezekiel Elliott has had one run of over 40 yards including none last year. In Ohio State, that was his thing, he was a home-run hitter and he goes the distance.
“In terms of his reputation or his popularity, I think a lot of people developed a distaste for him based on some choices he made off the field and he can atone for those.
“But that is a real thing. He’s a great back but he needs to do better things,” Brandt concluded.
Since his rookie season, Zeke has not crossed the 1,500 mark in rushing yards. He rushed for 1,357 yards and made 54 receptions last season.
Stats wise, Zeke does have something to prove while he goes up against the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, and the other top running backs in the league. Can Zeke put his off-field troubles aside and shut up his doubters once and for all this season?
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