INDIANAPOLIS _ Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott sounded all grown up on Sunday, and realistic about what just happened to both he and his teammates.
"I think a loss like this was very much needed. It was better for us in the grand scheme of the season," Elliott said. "We need to get put in check and we needed a reality check."
Another reality check after the Cowboys' embarrassing 23-0 loss to the Indianapolis Colts: Elliott's chances at winning the NFL's MVP award are gone.
Unless Elliott can set records in each of the final two games of the season, his best chance at a regular-season award will be the Offensive MVP based on winning the NFL rushing title.
Elliott was a long shot to be the MVP, but considering what he has had to do for this offense, behind a beat up offensive line, he merits a place in the discussion.
The MVP award has become nearly reserved for quarterbacks; guys like Philip Rivers of the Chargers, Drew Brees of the Saints, and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs are your obvious leaders at the moment for the award.
Elliott was going to need to run for at least 100 yards in each of the final three weeks of the season to even have a chance of being in the discussion.
Against the Colts, he ran for 87 yards on 18 carries. He also had seven receptions for 41 yards.
Hardly a bad day, but, as a running back, he needs exceptional ones.
Since 2000, four running backs have won the MVP award: Marshall Faulk in 2000, Shaun Alexander in 2005, LaDainian Tomlinson in '06, Adrian Peterson in '12. The rest were quarterbacks.
BTW: The last time a Cowboy won the MVP award was Emmitt Smith in 1993.
For the season, Elliott has rushed for 1,349 yards with six touchdowns and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. He leads the league in rushing, and in carries. Throw in 'Hits Taken.'
By any measure, Elliott has had an exceptional year in this his third NFL season. He has carried the Cowboys, and is their best player.
He said after the loss against the Colts he feels OK; considering the type of hits he has absorbed, and the number of touches he has, he's lying.
But he's young, and, like most guys his age, he's going to live forever.
He would like to win any award, but at present that is not the priority.
"You look at the team you saw the last five weeks and the team you saw today and that's two totally different groups of men," Elliott said. "We have to take our medicine and we have to watch this game and figure out what went on. I would not say, 'This is our team.' This is not the 2018 Dallas Cowboys. This is not who we are."
Elliott has had a great season, but after Sunday, it just won't be an MVP one.
