Dallas Cowboys: What to expect from Ezekiel Elliott in 2019

Since 2016, running back Ezekiel Elliott is the biggest star for the Dallas Cowboys. After a huge workload in 2018, what can we expect from Zeke?

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was crowned the NFL rushing title for the second time in three years. As we all know, beauty takes pain as Zeke led the league in touches in 2018, and no one else was really that close.

In 2019, I believe we will still see the Cowboys offense go through Zeke once again. The Cowboys will make defenses stop the run before starting to let Dak air the ball out, just as we have seen in the past.

A new aspect in Elliott’s game last year was being a true receiving threat. Elliott would occasionally lineup in the slot and run wheel routes as we saw in Week 4 versus Detroit when Elliott caught a wheel route late in the fourth quarter to help set up a Brett Maher field goal to win 26-24.

2018 will be the last time we see Zeke lined up as a wide receiver. I believe draftee Tony Pollard will play that role in the Cowboys 2019 offense. Ezekiel Elliott is too important to this team to be getting extra touches, especially in places he is not as comfortable in (down the field).

Expect Elliott to be still a threat in the passing game, but just out of the backfield as he is at his best catching screen passes and making a broken play into a positive gain.

In 2019, Zeke can truly flirt with the 2,000 rushing yards mark. The 2,000 rushing yard season has only occurred seven times in the history of the NFL. Elliott’s most yards in one year came in 2016 when he ran for 1,631.

In each of his first three years in the NFL, Zeke has always started off slow as he seems to run his self into shape. If he can come out of the gates hot, expect Elliott and a completely healthy offensive line to possibly reach history in 2019.