Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Muted performance in opener

Elliott rushed 11 times for 33 yards and brought in both targets for six yards in the Cowboys' 31-29 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday night.

The modest rushing volume and production both carry a fairly sizable asterisk, considering the caliber of defensive front the Cowboys were facing and the fact that game flow ended up tilting heavily toward the air attack despite the score being relatively close, at minimum, throughout. Elliott did look like a more motivated and explosive version of himself than he seemingly did at times down the stretch in 2020, and both Cowboys fans and fantasy managers will hope for a much more robust role in a Week 2 road matchup against the Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 19.