OXNARD, Calif. — The Cowboys defense was back with double-A-gap pressure.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks closed in on one of the gaps between the center and guard, with a safety coming from the backfield to attack the other.
Defender Micah Parsons stood behind them, ready to threaten.
The Cowboys’ offense didn’t mention it.
“What every team wants to do is block Micah,” quarterback Dak Prescott told Yahoo Sports. “But him being off the ball and having that look, it made it harder for us.”
So Prescott had three offensive linemen keep tabs on five potential rushers. His offensive linemen weren’t the only ones answering the call. Leave it to running back Ezekiel Elliott to outmaneuver Parsons.
“What really makes it work is Zeke is a pro,” Prescott said. “His guy goes, he follows and he’s able to keep up with Micah. Boom, I come forward and I throw the backside cut to Brandin Cooks at that point.”
Success.
Executing a training camp play doesn’t necessarily guarantee regular-season success. But on that double-A-gap pressure — a look Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has increasingly challenged the offense with throughout camp — Elliott did a job his quarterback was still praising a week and a half later, despite its complete absence from the stat line.
The fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft couldn’t cut through defenders like he did in his early days. Elliott couldn’t find a way to penetrate like he did just two seasons ago, when he scored 12 touchdowns even as his efficiency declined.
But Elliott’s block gave Prescott the extra seconds he needed to complete the pass. Elliott’s deep understanding of the nuances of his classmate Prescott and the game he’s entering as a ninth-year pro allowed him to get to the right place at the right time.
Dallas expects more of that as the season approaches.
So while skepticism about Elliott’s explosiveness and perhaps his raw production is warranted, the Cowboys view Elliott’s role in their ecosystem more favorably than the general public.
“Not all running backs have that much of a football brain,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer told Yahoo Sports. “(Elliott) sees the game like a quarterback. He sees the big picture, which is really cool.”
“The tough yards, the tough yards, the four-minute attack? Don’t sleep on him. He’s got a lot left in his tank.”
LThe Cowboys and Zeke divorced and then remarried
The Cowboys released Elliott before the 2023 season in an attempt to shed an expensive contract that was arguably obsolete relative to market value.
Elliott was signed to a six-year, $90 million contract extension in 2019 after a period of reluctance not unlike the current absence of receiver CeeDee Lamb. He was as punishing as ever in his first season back, throwing for 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry per season after leading the league in carries, rushing yards and total touchdowns.
But soon,…