1. Ezekiel Elliott, Running Back
Sometimes the best defense is more offense. Back in 2014, there was a lot of talk about just how bad the Dallas Cowboys defense was. They had just moved on from DeMarcus Ware and had a lot of unknowns throughout the roster. However, they ended up winning 12 games and the defense wasn’t terrible — but that had a lot to do with the Cowboys offense.
That season, Dallas was committed to keeping their defense off the field and that was evident with their ground-and-pound offense. DeMarco Murray was a workhorse, going for 1,845 yards amd 13 touchdowns. His play led to extended drive after extended drive which not only kept their defenders fresh, but also frustrated opposing offenses that were forced to sit and watch for long stretches at a time.
While this Cowboys team isn’t going to go away from the pass — nor should they — they are capable of having games much like they did in 2014. Ezekiel Elliott is a more dynamic back than Murray and he proved on Sunday that despite his critics, he’s still ready to feast on a weekly basis.
In Week 2, the Cowboys are going to need him to be at his best. With the offensive line health concerns and the defensive holes, Elliott could be the guy who puts the perfume on a pig and masks the deficiencies.
It’s hard to top smash-mouth football and Elliott is more than capable of taking over in that style of game.