In the previous article, Rebecca made a strong case for why Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott should be named NFL MVP. Elliott definitely had a great year, however, would the Cowboys have made the playoffs without him? It seems likely with the strong play from fellow rookie Dak Prescott and resurgence of their defense. It also does not hurt when the Cowboys offensive line is easily the best in the league. Those boys should split the trophy as they blocked for Elliott to allow him to hit the holes and take off all season.
Just to put into perspective how good the offensive line is all you need to look at is the resurgence of Darren McFadden. McFadden was never a bad running back, but it just seemed impossible for him to stay on the field. A fresh start in Dallas was just what the running back needed as he experienced career-highs in his first season behind Dallas’ dominant line. In 2015, he posted 1,417 scrimmage yards which was fourth in the NFL that season. He posted four games of over 100 rushing yards that season. McFadden is much older and has suffered more injuries than Elliott, but still found success behind that offensive line.
There is no denying the impact Elliott had on Dallas’ offense. In a league where running backs have become less and less valuable, he showed that taking a running back high in the draft is not a bad idea. He would have been an addition to any team in the league with his speed and ability to make tacklers miss. However, is it fair to give him all of the credit for their success? Probably not. Is it fair to say he was more valuable than quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Tom Brady?
