Ezekiel Elliott: Cowboys offense to blame for loss to Saints - msnNOW

NEW ORLEANS — Ezekiel Elliott minced no words: Blame it on the Dallas Cowboys offense.

a group of baseball players standing on top of a field: Ezekiel Elliott 1.9 yards a carry in Sunday night's loss to the Saints.

“Our defense played their (butt) off,” the Cowboys running back told reporters, embarrassed after the 12-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints knocked Dallas from the ranks of the undefeated. “They kept us in the game. They gave us a chance and we just didn’t hold up on the offensive end. We can’t let our guys down like that.”

Elliott, the NFL’s reigning rushing champ, managed just 35 yards on 18 carries – with a 1.9-yard average that is a career-low in games when he’s had at least 10 rushes. He also lost a fumble — one of three Dallas turnovers — just before halftime.

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Never mind that the ruling on the fumble was questionable as it was unclear on some angles if his elbow hit the turf before the football popped out as he converted a fourth-and-one run. Elliott, in stand-up fashion, made no excuses.

“I just coughed it up,” he said. “They just took it from me. It’s not acceptable ... I just can’t let the tea down like that.”

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He was hardly alone in the letdown department. Dak Prescott has a season-low 73.2 passer rating and didn’t throw a touchdown pass in a game for the first time all season. The Cowboys managed just 257 yards of offense. And despite the prowess of the Dallas defense, the Cowboys (3-1) were beaten by a team that didn’t score a touchdown.

“The only positive is the defense played their tails off,” Elliott said. “Offensively, we just didn’t do our jobs.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ezekiel Elliott: Cowboys offense to blame for loss to Saints

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