ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 26: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first half at AT&T Stadium on December 26, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
After the Dallas Cowboys’ 12-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday — the team’s first loss of the year — Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was quick to pin the loss on himself and the rest of the offense.
“Our defense played their (butt) off,” Elliot told reporters following the loss. “They kept us in the game. They gave us a chance and we just didn’t hold up on the offensive end. We can’t let our guys down like that.”
Elliott managed a measly 35 yards on 18 carries on Sunday and even coughed up a fumble right before halftime.
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“I just coughed it up,” he said. “They just took it from me. It’s not acceptable … I just can’t let the team down like that.”
The Cowboys’ offense managed just 257 total yards and featured a season-low passer rating from QB Dak Prescott.
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The Saints’ offense, on the other hand, was not much more successful, as New Orleans failed to score even one touchdown in the victory. The Cowboys’ defense has stood out on this young campaign and they certainly held down a Saints offense with multiple different weapons.
“The only positive is the defense played their tails off,” Elliott said. “Offensively, we just didn’t do our jobs.”
Though the Cowboys suffered their first loss of the year to drop to 3-1, they remain atop the NFC East thanks to their stalwart defense.
The Saints’ defense also deserves praise for shutting down a Dallas offense featuring Elliott and Prescott, who had looked promising up to this point in the season. Getting shut down by the Saints in primetime has certainly increased criticism of the previously undefeated Cowboys.
Conversely, Prescott explained that the team is taking the loss in stride and moving on:
“There’s no confidence lost with this loss,” Prescott said. “I can promise you that. There’s a lot of things we’ll take from this and learn from.”
The Cowboys’ offense will have to prove itself heading into Week five, especially if the defense continues to shut down opposing offenses.
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