Dallas Cowboys

5 Reasons Ezekiel Elliott Should Win MVP

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:56 p.m. ET

Fansided, Randy Gurzi/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

While it’s typically given to quarterbacks, and surely not to rookies, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has done enough to deserve the MVP

We still have some time before the MVP of the 2016 season will be officially named on Feb. 4. Most of the talk for who will win is centered around quarterbacks Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. All three would be deserving of the prestigious award, but there’s still one dark horse that could sneak in: Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott is a name to watch. Currently he’s sitting on the outside of most opinions for the award, but he shouldn’t be. Zeke did just as much to help his team as any of the quarterbacks. Elliott came to Dallas as a rookie out of Ohio State and instantly was leaned on to be the featured player in their offense.

He stepped up to the challenge and excelled at it. Every week it seemed a new hurdle would come and he flourished. His game on Oct. 16 against the Green Bay Packers was one such hurdle. They entered this game as the best rush defense averaging just over 40-yards per game surrendered at the time. All Elliott did was blast them for 157 yards and led his team to a win.

He did the same thing when they played the Ravens on Nov. 20. They were the top-rated run defense in the NFL at this point and again Zeke showed no mercy. This game wasn’t as easy for him, but he churned out 97 yards and led Dallas to the win.

These are just two examples of the impact Elliott has had on America’s Team. Here are five more things to look at which makes the case for No. 21 being the NFL MVP.

Dec 26, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

5. Red Zone Impact

In 2015 the Dallas Cowboys got excellent production out of veteran running back Darren McFadden. In just ten starts he was able to top the 1,000 yard mark for just the second time in his career with 1,089 yards. He also averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry.

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Where McFadden didn’t excel however was getting the ball across the goal line. McFadden had just three touchdowns on the season, and was able to get just two from within five yards. When the defenses tightened up he wasn’t able to get things moving as well as he would have liked.

This season it has been different. Elliott scored 12 times from inside the 20-yard line and seven of those came on rushes inside the 5-yard line. According to Pro Football Reference he was able to score those seven touchdowns on just 11 rushing attempts.

In 2015 they were able to move the ball on offense thanks to McFadden, but then they had to settle for a lot of field goals. In 2016, those trips deep into enemy territory turned into seven much more frequently. While there is a ton of credit to go around for such stats, the biggest reason for the success was Elliott’s ability to quickly find the hole and make a decisive run.

Dec 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) kneels prior to the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Cowboys defeated the Vikings 17-15. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

4. He Won The Rushing Title In 15 Games

How important is Zeke to the Cowboys’ plans? He was the only starter they told to sit in Week 17 despite being healthy. For some perspective, they did the same with just one defensive player, linebacker Sean Lee.

With just one season under his belt now he has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates and has become an irreplaceable commodity. Yet what really showed his value was that Dallas was able to do this without any concern as to whether or not it would impact his pursuit of the NFL rushing title.

The reason they didn’t have to worry is because Elliott had the title in his pocket by the time he wrapped up his 15th game as a pro. Elliot rushed for 1,631 yards on the ground this season, which was an impressive average of 108.7 yards per game. The next best runner in 2015 was Chicago’s Jordan Howard, who tallied 1,313 yards.

When the season officially ended, there was still a 318-yard gap between Elliott and the next most productive runner. That kind of production isn’t easy to come by and it had more to do with the Cowboys success this season than just about anything else.

3. He’s An All-Around Back

One thing that a lot of rookie running backs struggle with is being effective without the ball in their hands. Blitz pick-up is a huge problem and even running routes and being an effective receiver has it learning curve.

That simply wasn’t the case with Elliott. The rookie came out of Ohio State being praised as a willing blocker, who excelled at blitz pick up. Former NFL head coach Brian Billick was especially pleased with how well Elliott handled this duty.

That tweet from coach Billick was sent out during Zeke’s time in Columbus, OH. From there, he only got better and never had to leave the field on third-downs due to being a liability.

He did more than just block to help the passing game though. Elliott also pulled down 32 catches for 363 yards and even had an 83-yard touchdown on a screen pass. He’s a complete back that can beat teams in multiple ways, and he is incredibly selfless as he has no problem staying in and delivering crushing blocks to give his teammates more time to succeed as well. MVP awards don’t generally go to rookies, but rookies also don’t generally excel in so many areas.

2. He Changed The Perception on Drafting Running Backs

Other running backs coming out of college should send a thank you letter to Elliott. Heading into the 2016 season there had never been more of a movement away from drafting running backs early. It had gotten so bad that the Cowboys were actually ridiculed by some for selecting Elliott fourth overall.

Sports Day DFW had a reaction piece to the draft day selection, and here are just a couple of the negative reactions to the move to get the Ohio State runner.

It’s funny how a few months can change things. So many people thought Dallas had to go cornerback and take Jalen Ramsey out of Florida State. There was no way a running back was worth a fourth overall pick, and their defense would be atrocious unless they got a savior like Ramsey.

Well Ramsey was taken one pick later to the Jacksonville Jaguars and had a solid season. He did absolutely nothing to change his teams fortune, though, as Jacksonville is slated to pick even higher in 2017 after finishing 3-13. The simple truth is that, while Ramsey was solid, Elliott was spectacular.

Elliott’s impact was so good that some even have the Jaguars now selecting a running back with their fourth overall pick. DraftTek is one such site, as they have the Jags snatching up LSU tailback Leonard Fournette. Thanks to the Cowboys willingness to select Zeke, and the following explosion on the field, this pick won’t be judged nearly as harshly (should it actually happen) as it was for the Boys.

Elliott’s success was not only good for him and the Cowboys, but for all running backs who are transcendent at the collegiate level.

1. It’s Time For A Change

If a quarterback wins the award in 2017 it’s time to change the name of the award to “Best Quarterback.” It’s gotten insane how anyone who isn’t lining up under center is immediately disqualified from being the most valuable person on a team.

Since 2007, just one non-quarterback has won the award. In 2012 it was Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. His selection ended a long drought which went back to 2006. That would be when running back LaDanian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers took the title. He did so just one year after running back Shaun Alexander won the award for the Seattle Seahawks.

Since then it’s been a heavy dose of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and whatever other quarterback did well that season, like Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton. Surely this season will be the same and they will crown a quarterback, but they shouldn’t do it just out of habit. The fact is the award is for the Most Valuable Player. Not necessarily the best, but who brought the most value to their team and that would be Zeke.

In 2015 the Cowboys struggled on offense and defense. They lost starting quarterback Tony Romo for all but four games and every player struggled. This season, it didn’t happen that way when Romo again went down.

While a lot of the credit can be given to fellow rookie Dak Prescott for his exceptional play at quarterback, Zeke has been the biggest difference-maker. He took over late in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he rushed for two late touchdowns to secure the shootout win. He also has helped a maligned defense improve by moving the chains and grinding out games.

He converted 91 first downs, which led all running backs in the NFL. Every time he did so it gave his defense just a little more time to rest. Thanks to him they were always ready to go when called upon because he kept them from being worn down.

In the end, Ezekiel Elliott helped his team in every phase, even those he wasn’t technically a part of. For that, he deserves to win the 2016 NFL MVP award.