National Football League

Is Ezekiel Elliott better than Emmitt Smith? Jimmy Johnson weighs in

Published Nov. 23, 2016 7:16 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Dallas Cowboys' league-leading 9-1 start and the play of rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are creating comparisons to great Cowboys teams of the past.

One superlative thrown out recently was especially eye-popping: that Elliott, who's leading the league in rushing with 1,102 yards, already is a better running back than Emmitt Smith!

Legendary Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson addressed that opinion Wednesday on "Speak For Yourself", and while you can be sure he didn't discount the guy who helped win him two Super Bowls, he did give Zeke the edge in a couple of areas.

"Elliott's bigger, stronger, maybe even a step faster than Emmitt Smith," Johnson said in the video above. "But they're both very similar. I think, you know, Ezekiel Elliott is a more powerful runner. He runs over people. Both of 'em can make people miss, so you don't really get a big shot on 'em. But Elliott will take on tacklers, whereas, you know, Emmitt never did this."

What Smith did do is demonstrate longevity, playing an unheard-of 15 years. If Elliott can play half that long while being a bruising back, the Cowboys could be looking at another dynasty.