Dallas Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott’s contract parameters dictate he plays like the best running back in the NFL. According to the man himself, he hasn’t performed up to those standards.

In an article by Michael Gehlkin of the Dallas Morning News, Elliott stated the cold hard fact about not being the standard for backs across the league:

“I think there’s been running backs that have played better than me this year. … I don’t think it bothers me. It kind of adds a little fuel to the fire. I’ve got some more work to do. That’s all.”

Elliott still remains firmly in the conversation that surrounds the best of the best at his position but has perhaps fallen behind some of his contemporaries halfway through the season. He is currently averaging 92.6 yards per game on the ground which ranks fourth in the NFL. On the surface, that’s a strong number, and nothing to worry about. But what happens when someone does a little digging?

Games Rushing Year G GS Rush Yds TD 1D Lng Y/A Y/G A/G 2016 15 15 322 1631 15 95 60 5.1 108.7 21.5 2017 10 10 242 983 7 57 30 4.1 98.3 24.2 2018 15 15 304 1434 6 84 41 4.7 95.6 20.3 2019 8 8 158 741 6 43 27 4.7 92.6 19.8

While his yards per game has gone down in each of his four seasons, and it seems as if he has lost some of the home run talent he flashed in his rookie season. His long on the season is a mere 27 yards though he’s had some opportunities to go longer.

Here is one example.

The issue on this play doesn’t appear to be athleticism, but instead vision, something Elliott has always excelled at.

That same vision, combined with a bruising offensive line, is what has allowed his yards per attempt to rebound from his suspension-marred 2017 campaign. He is carrying the ball less than he ever has before, but even with a reduced workload his 4.7 yards per carry falls behind seven other ball carriers who have at least 100 attempts on the year.

Elliott advocates will point to his ability to pick up the blitz in the passing game. That is an incredibly valuable skill for a running back. Whether that’s more important than what a back does by running routes is an argument left for smarter minds and another time. But when it comes to catching the ball, whether he is under utilized or not in that aspect, he falls short of many other backs.

Football players are not robots, though maybe Elliott’s greatest skill is that he seems to be one. His ability to take punishment and keep on plugging away has been unparalleled.

Since entering the league, he’s the only running back to carry the ball over 1,000 times, despite never playing a full season, either due to rest (2016, 2018) or suspension (2017). He is a workhorse, a throwback to the old, halcyon days of the running back where guys rarely came off the field.

Believers can hold onto this: Elliott has always been a slow starter. Trading training camp for a trip to Cabo and a new contract may have made the start even slower. Leaving out the numbers for just a minute (as he’s had slower starts in his career than 2019), Elliott didn’t look like himself until the Week 7 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. If he’s able to maintain his current performance, the two time rushing champion could keep his crown for another year.