Ezekiel Elliott Calls Cowboys’ 23-0 Loss To Colts “Embarrassing” But “Very Much Needed”

The Dallas Cowboys suffered a brutal 23-0 loss to the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday, but Ezekiel Elliott seems to be looking at the bright side.

Cowboys’ Elliott Slams Team’s Performance In Colts shutout

The third-year running back said he believes his team desperately needed a “reality check,” and that the defeat to Indianapolis seems to have been one way to accomplish this.

“That was a very embarrassing performance by us,” Elliott said. “I think a loss like this was very much needed,” Elliott said. “I think it’s better for us in the grand scheme of the season. I think we needed to get put in check, I think we needed a reality check and I think we needed someone to remind us we still have a lot of ball left.”

“Nothing’s going to be given,” he added.

The Cowboys (8-6) still lead the NFC East, although they are now only slightly ahead of both the second-place Philadelphia Eagles (7-7) and the third-place Washington Redskins (7-7), which means the division’s wild-card playoff spot could become highly contested over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Dallas was missing a few players due to injury on Sunday, including all-pro right guard Zack Martin and left guard Xavier Su’a-Filo, who recently suffered an eye injury. However, Elliott seemed to dismiss the notion that this was the main reason for the Cowboys’ loss.

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On Sunday, Elliott finished with 87 yards on 18 carries, and also logged a team-high seven catches for 41 additional yards. Dallas amassed 292 yards of offense. A 48-yard field goal attempt by Brett Maher was blocked.

Elliott also fumbled the ball three yards from the end zone, and quarterback Dak Prescott threw an interception 26 yards from home. The Cowboys allowed 178 yards Sunday, 91 more than their average.

“The way we didn’t give ourselves a chance pisses me off,” Prescott said. “Pisses everybody off.”