Mike McCarthy-coached Dallas Cowboys started the 2021 NFL preseason on a sour note with a 16-3 loss to Pittsburgh Steelers. They followed that up with another narrow loss to Arizona Cardinals last Saturday. However, the Cowboys are expected to do much better than they did when the season starts considering Dak Prescott’s imminent return.
One player who will be under immense pressure to perform in 2021 is running back Ezekiel Elliott. Last year, the former Ohio State man put pen to paper on a six-year extension with the Cowboys worth $90 million (with $50 million guarantees). He is under contract at the AT&T Stadium through the 2026 season.
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But is he going to challenge Tennesse Titans’ Derrick Henry for the crown of best running back in the NFL? There might be another contender in that categoy.
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Christian McCaffrey tipped to usurp Ezekiel Elliott as best running back in NFL
Over the past two seasons, Christian McCaffrey has missed a total of 13 games.
He’s still the 5th-highest scoring RB during that time. Perspective: that’s 26.1 more points than Zeke, who has missed just 1 game.
Cheat code. pic.twitter.com/Lp7sU4VJZJ
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 21, 2021
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Popular NFL analyst and Fantasy Football expert, Field Yates, mentioned the return of Christian McCaffrey as a major threat to King Henry’s crown as the league’s best running back. The Carolina Panthers man missed out on the majority of the 2020 NFL season due to a shoulder injury.
However, he is expected to make a comeback in 2021. With Sam Darnold as the rumoured first-choice QB for the Panthers, it will be exciting to see McCaffrey tear up defences in signature fashion once the season begins in September.
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In three games last season, the former Stanford man rushed for 225 yards with 5 rushing touchdowns to his name. The 25-year old rushed for 1,000+ yards the previous two seasons and will be expected to maintain those stats over the course of the coming months. The Panthers kickstart their campaign with a game against New York Jets in Week 1.
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