Jerry Jones provides additional context for Ezekiel Elliott's play

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is never shy to speak up on situations involving his players. And this week was no different. In an interview on 105.3 The Fan, he spoke about running back Ezekiel Elliott and provided more context on his star back performance.

Elliott has been the focal point of much criticism early in the season after a slow start. But in the last two games, there has been a significant upswing in his productivity. Jones knew exactly what the reason was behind this shift and let fans in on the secret.

“We all saw how he prepared, getting ready for the season,’ said Jones. “What you put in in spring, what you put in in training camp, that’s what you get out during the season. He put it in during the offseason and it’s paying dividends for him.”

The Cowboys’ Pro Bowl running back did not start the season off on the right foot against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had just 11 carries for 33 yards and no touchdowns. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy accredited that to the Dallas game plan. The Buccaneers had a top-ranked rush defense from the year before and returned all of their starters. In addition to that, the Cowboys were without All Pro guard Zack Martin. So, they believed the best course of action was to attack the Tampa Bay secondary.

In Week 2 against the Chargers, Elliott had a better game with 16 attempts, 71 yards, and a touchdown. However, fellow running back Tony Pollard had a better performance against the Chargers, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. The contrast in their play has led many to question the value of the Cowboys’ Pro Bowler. Recently, former NFL quarterback turned ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III suggested that the Cowboys trade Elliott.

Elliott picking up the pace

Since then, Elliott has looked more like the 2016 and 2018 versions of himself that led the NFL in rushing. In Week 3’s Monday night matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Elliott ran for 95 yards on 17 carries and had two touchdowns. His 5.6 yards per carry was tops for the team in that game.

He then followed up that performance with an even better one against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. This time, he went for 143 yards on 20 touches and had one touchdown.

So far in the year, Ezekiel Elliott is top 10 in four major statical rushing categories. His 342 yards on the ground is good for fourth. While his four touchdowns have him tied for the league lead. It’s a good thing Jerry Jones knew what all of us didn’t about Elliott. Because had he not, the Cowboys could’ve given up on him early and he would be enjoying a potential career year elsewhere in the NFL.