NFL

Elliott Getting Used to NFL Scrutiny After Underperforming in First Two Games

Ezekiel Elliott has started off slowly in the first two games of his professional career.

Rookie Ezekiel Elliott is getting a hard dose of professional football reality after his two fumbles on Sunday during the Washington game.

The running back says the critics are everywhere now that's he's in the NFL and not living up to expectations.

On top of that, Zeke's own father Stacy Elliott, has concerns about his son's well-being.

"I don't believe my own son knows how to navigate life being a superstar," Stacy Elliott told ESPN.

The Cowboys running back was asked what he's learned about the NFL after two weeks of games.

"The scrutiny is there for sure. That's probably the biggest thing. I think the biggest part is mentally blocking it out. Not necessarily blocking it out, but focusing on what's important and the outside noise is not important," said Elliott.

After Elliott's second fumble in Washington, the running back didn't return to the game. Fellow running back and veteran Alfred Morris took over and scored the game winning touchdown. Essentially, Elliott was benched.

Sports Connection

Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.

No. 1 UNC upset by No. 4 Alabama 89-87 in March Madness

World champion Rangers overcome disputed tip and beat Cubs 4-3 on Heim's 10th-inning single

"I've never been benced," Elliott said with a laugh. "So that's new to me. You just got to respond by going to work the next week, that's all you can do to put it all behind you. And on the bright side, we got the win," said Elliott.

The rookie's 3.27 yards per carry is the lowest number in Cowboys history for running backs with 40-plus carries in the first two weeks of the season.

Contact Us