Getty Ezekiel Elliott
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott recently appeared in a new training video where he went through ball-carrying drills under the tutelage of Texas-based “RB guru” Joshua Hicks.
The video was aggregated by various social media outlets — including Bleacher Report, which categorized Elliott’s footwork as “explosive.”
.@ezekielelliott looking explosive 🍽
(via @3hunnidguru)
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Fan Reaction
Those who perused the video, let’s just say, did not agree with BR’s choice of adjective. Criticism came from within Cowboys Nation and extended to the rest of the NFL’s collective fan bases. Below is a smattering of reactions:
Im a huge Zeke fan, but haven’t we heard this every year since his contract extension? His “explosiveness” just isn’t there any more
Was he supposed to run into that first trash can or nah? And I’m not trying to hate, Zeke is world class athlete that can do things I only dream of but….I’d look explosive against a bunch of trash cans too Face with tears of joy . Y’all need a better tweeter
The explosive disappeared with the new contract a while back. I’ve seen grandmas shopping the day after thanksgiving with those moves.
He just doesn’t impress me Idk why. Maybe it’s because his rookie year was so good, every year after that has felt like a disappointment.
Not saying he isn’t explosive… but you out me thru this drill and I’ll look just as “explosive” as this. I’m a 36 year old man…
I have to say I don’t see it. His game was and is more of a power through contact / jump cut game. Saquon is more of an explosive runner.
Say the same thing every year and he opens up like a can of spam come gamedays 10 yr olds be doing that drill faster
Run the Pollard comparison video!
Is it me or is “explosive” a major stretch for almost tripping over a trash can
Looks like the same 3second stutter he does before DTs swallow him up
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Shameful 2020 Stats
As The Athletic’s Greg Auman recently spotlighted, the Cowboys tied the Saints for second last season on the list of teams with the most dropped passes (12) by their RBs, trailing only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (17).
Dallas also logged the eighth-lowest RB catch rate (.721) among all teams. Elliott — rather than prized backup Tony Pollard — is the culprit, charged with eight drops on 71 receiving targets. Pollard was responsible for four drops across 40 targets.
Drops are bad, but fumbles are infinitely worse. CBS Sports previously publicized that Elliott simply cannot hold onto the pigskin, leading all NFL RBs by a wide margin with three seasons of five-plus fumbles since 2016, his rookie campaign. For context: Eight different RBs have logged one such season over that span.
Elliott lost four fumbles across a six-week period in 2020, culminating with his mid-October benching during a nationally televised defeat by Arizona. He let slip through his fingers yet another ball in a Thanksgiving blowout loss to Washington, the final miscue punctuating a career-worst showing for the highest-paid back in league history.
READ NEXT: NFLPA Forcing Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott to Forfeit Huge Bonuses?
Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL