2021 Dallas Cowboys report card: Ezekiel Elliott

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott’s 2021 Report Card:

Rushing: B-
Receiving: C-
Pass Blocking: A+
Final Grade: B-

At the start of the season, Elliott looked on pace to match his rushing total from 2016. He collected 452 yards and five rushing touchdowns through the first five games of 2021. Elliott had his two best games of the season in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers and Week 5 against the New York Giants.

However, against the Panthers, the former All-Pro injured his knee. After that, he never returned to his early-season form. From Week 6 against the New England Patriots until the end of the season, Elliott never had a game where he rushed for over 100 yards. The closest he got to the century mark was against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18, where he rushed for 87 yards.

There were many times this season where defensive linemen were in the backfield before Elliott could reach the line of scrimmage. However, if Elliott was healthy, he might have been able to bounce to the outside for a small gain. He averaged 1.7 yards after contact, the lowest of his career.

As far as Elliot’s rushing grade, it would be lower if there was no shared blame on the offensive line. Starting right tackle La’el Collins was suspended for five games, and starting left tackle Tyron Smith missed six games due to knee and ankle injuries. Reaching 1,000 yards rushing does not mean what it used to 15 years ago, but it is still the baseline for a player with as much expectation as Elliott.

The Cowboys running back also did not have a great year in the passing game, which explains his low grade there. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did not plan to use Elliott enough, which led to only 287 yards receiving, the second-lowest of his career.

The bright spot is that despite his partial PCL tear (which wasn’t revealed until after the season), Elliott still proved to be an elite pass blocker. With the poor offensive line play, having him on the field helped keep Prescott upright for most of the season.

Will Elliott ever become a Pro Bowl-caliber rusher again? It is possible if the offensive line gets put in order and the RB himself can remain healthy. While injuries do play a large factor, the reality is that he was outplayed by Tony Pollard on many occasions and that he just didn’t play at the high level he was supposed to.

Despite his lack of production, EVP Stephen Jones all but confirmed Elliott would remain with the team in 2022. However, if Dallas’ lead back cannot seem to get right with a revamped offensive line, 2022 might be his the last season in stars and stripes. The front office has an out in his contract in 2023.