Seth Joyner: Ezekiel Elliott Is Better Than Emmitt Smith
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- 18,355 rushing yards. No one has more than former Dallas Cowboys running back No. 22 Emmitt Smith.
But former three-time Pro Bowl Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner says the Cowboys' new running back, Ezekiel Elliott, is better than the Hall Of Fame running back.
"He's better than 22," Joyner said of Elliott on Monday's 94WIP Midday Show with Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie, the morning after the Cowboys' 29-23 overtime win vs. the Eagles.
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"I've always said, if you took back Barry Sanders and you put him behind that line that Emmitt played, he'd double the amount of yards that Emmitt had. It's not a slight to Emmitt. Emmitt was a good running back, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he was a great running back because he had the best offensive line. I mean, some of those holes were just -- you could drive a mack truck through it."
Listen: Seth Joyner on the 94WIP Midday Show
Elliott rushed for 96 yards (89 after contact) on 22 carries against the Eagles and caught four balls for 52 more yards. Through seven games, Elliott leads the NFL with 799 rushing yards (5.0 yards per carry) running behind three All-Pro offensive lineman.
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Elliott has a long way to go before he even sniffs Smith's eight Pro Bowls, four rushing titles, and three Super Bowls rings. Joyner, however, says a lot of Smith's success came from his dominant offensive line.
"If I was one on one in the hole against Barry Sanders, I'd probably almost crap my pants," Joyner continued. "I'm just being honest. When you're talking about running backs, he's the guy that I least liked playing against. But if I was ever in the hole against Emmitt one on one, no problem. No worries. I'm not worried about that at all. And when I see Zeke Elliott, the way he runs. Oh my gosh. He runs with an attitude. He is what I call a generational running back. You only see a guy like that once every few generations."
