A quitter is among the worst things a professional athlete can be called, but that's what some big-name sports media types are saying about Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott after his apparent lack of effort during Sunday's loss to the Broncos.
The 22-year-old running back already has had his character second-guessed. Now LaDainian Tomlinson of NFL Network and Peter King of Sports Illustrated are questioning the young star's effort on the field.
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Take one crucial play during Dallas' 42-17 loss: With the Cowboys down 28-10, quarterback Dak Prescott was intercepted by Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. Elliott, who was close to the play, made no effort to tackle Harris. A Fox Sports replay found Elliott standing alone, watching Harris' return while the game was still on the line.
Tomlinson, the Chargers' all-time rushing leader and a Pro Football Hall of Famer who's now a TV analyst, let Elliott have it, saying he "absolutely quit" on his teammates.
And Tomlinson wasn't alone.
The dean of NFL writers, The MMQB's Peter King, singled out Elliott in his Monday Morning Quarterback column. Wrote King:
At the time of the interception, Harris was about five yards away from Elliott. Elliott immediately stopped and put his hands on his hips and didn’t chase Harris. Harris ran to his left, passing maybe four yards from Elliott at their closest point. Eventually, in a zig-zag course, Harris ran back to his right and was tackled by a Dallas lineman.
I give you the play-by-play to describe without prejudice exactly what happened on an important play in the eventual Denver rout of Dallas. Elliott stopped. Elliott did not chase the Denver interceptor, though he certainly would be instructed by any coach in the history of football to pursue the man who intercepted the ball until he was down. Elliott stood there with his hands on his hips. He did nothing.
It was a stunning lack of effort in the middle of a game that was still certainly in play. Dallas, down 28-10 at the time of the Harris interception, had six possessions after that. So often in cases like this, the player gets a pass. And very often, Dallas players get passes, because the Cowboys take chances on great players who have character or behavior or ethos flaws. Elliott might have all three of those. To give up on that play was horrendous. Dallas coach Jason Garrett has to do something about it—if he has not already. Owner Jerry Jones should back his coach 100 percent when Garrett does discipline Elliott. And if Garrett does not, then there’s something seriously wrong in Dallas.
It’s one thing to be frustrated. It’s another thing to quit. Elliott is a good football player who quit on a play. Don’t sugarcoat it. He quit on a play in the middle of a game that was still a game. And he should not be allowed to get away with it.
There could be many reasons for Elliott's poor play Sunday. He was frustrated by the Broncos' defense, which held him to a career-low eight rushing yards on nine attempts. Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk noted that even flat-footed Tom Brady of the Patriots rushed for more yards against the Saints on Sunday. Elliott also has a lot on his mind with his looming suspension.
But with names like Tomlinson and King questioning Elliott's heart, it's going to be a long week for him and Cowboys fans.
This story will have legs this week — better legs than Elliott showed Sunday.
