The Dallas Cowboys overcame a sluggish first quarter start to score 20 unanswered points against the Cleveland Browns. Dak Prescott has picked up where he left off last season, and CeeDee Lamb is in All-Pro form despite returning to practice less than two weeks ago.

While there was some concern that Prescott and Lamb would show some rust against a stingy Browns defense, is it really that surprising that they are performing at a high level? Absolutely not. That’s what great players do.

While Prescott, Lamb and Micah Parsons, who took the lead in the second quarter, stole the show, the story of the game so far belongs to none other than Ezekiel Elliott.

Yes, you read that right. Elliott, in his second stint with the Cowboys wearing No. 15, clearly outperformed fans, capping a strong first half with a short touchdown run to give Dallas a 14-3 lead.

In addition to the touchdown, Elliott totaled 44 yards from scrimmage in the first half on nine touches (eight carries, one catch). The veteran RB showed early that he was going to have a good day, when he overpowered Browns cornerback Denzel Ward on the first play from scrimmage.

The run was called off due to a holding penalty, but Zeke looked more agile than other players throughout the summer.

You wouldn’t expect Spry and Elliott to be in the same sentence in 2024, but we’re only going to listen to what our eyes are telling us. The two-time rushing champion made multiple tacklers miss and had an excellent blitz pickup to save Prescott from a potential sack.

Elliott’s touchdown was just a three-yard dash, but the Cowboys struggled mightily in the red zone last season. Of the 49 running backs with at least 100 carries, Tony Pollard’s six scores ranked tied for 17th, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Elliott is the physically stronger full-back than Pollard, but he is also better at deflecting tackles and charging forward. While the 29-year-old is not what he once was from an athletic standpoint, his vision and intelligence as a runner are still among the best in the business.

One game doesn’t mean Zeke will be great all season. But there’s no denying he’s still making an impact. If he continues to perform like this, Cowboys fans are going to be in for a lot of criticism over the next five months.

Maybe the front desk knew what they were doing after all.

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