Ezekiel Elliott was not great against the New York Giants, but few rookie running backs playing in their first NFL games have had great first games.
The rookie running back in Dallas with the most rushing yards in his first NFL game was Derrick Lassic. He gained 75 yards on 16 carries while filling in for Emmitt Smith in 1993.
Elliott’s 20 attempts against the Giants were more than any other rookie in his first NFL game. Calvin Hill had 18 attempts in his first game in 1969.
The most notable Cowboy running backs had lackluster debuts.