Oct 19, 2020; Cardinals strong safety Budda Baker (32) causes Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) to fumble in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium.  Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Ezekiel Elliott takes blame after multiple fumbles in loss: 'I have to be better'

The Dallas Cowboys were embarrassed by the Arizona Cardinals Monday night, and running back Ezekiel Elliott admitted after the game that much of the blame for the brutal loss should fall squarely on his shoulders.

"It's not acceptable and it's something I gotta figure out," Elliott said. "I don't know. I need to figure something out. ... I want to say I'm sorry. This one is on me. I have to be better for this team."

The Dallas offense was absolutely anemic without quarterback Dak Prescott, scoring just 10 points, seven of which came late in the 4th quarter when the game was well out of hand. Part of the reason the game was never close was Elliott fumbling in back-to-back possessions, giving Arizona possession in Cowboys' territory and allowing them to take a 14-0 lead.

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Elliott's butterfingers look less like an anomaly and more like a trend this season. He has already fumbled five times this year, tying his career-high only six games into the season. As a result, Elliott was benched for long stretches of the rest of the game, with Tony Pollard filling in and taking on the bulk of the carries.

The good news? The Cowboys play in the NFC East, which currently looks like a historically bad division. Despite being 2-4, Dallas is currently in the lead for the division, as Washington, Philadelphia and New York have all won just a single game this season. But if the Cowboys want to be taken seriously as a contender, they need Elliott to hold onto the ball and start winning some games.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Mavericks advance to Western Conference Finals aided by controversial call late
Connor McDavid, Oilers hammer Canucks to force Game 7
Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk epic increases excitement for potential rematch
Seize the Grey wins in muddy Preakness
Even Mike Budenholzer admits the Suns need a point guard
Watch: Juan Soto's first multi-homer game as a Yankee
Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa lead at PGA Championship
Knicks could get major boost for Game 7 showdown with Pacers
Giants All-Star pitcher suffers setback in recovery from injury
Panthers star named winner of 2024 Selke Trophy
WNBA to investigate $100,000 sponsorship deals for Aces players
Tiger Woods blames one big factor for missing the cut at PGA Championship
'Ain't good enough': Draymond Green claims Celtics must 'win it all' or it's a 'failure'
Blue Jays GM wants struggling club to feel 'massive sense of urgency'
Raptors expected to flip former NBA champion during the offseason
MLB insider reveals Mets' massive extension offer that Pete Alonso turned down
Celtics legend provides update after gruesome finger injury
Bulls hire former NBA head coach as top assistant
Chiefs move on from young running back
20-year MLB veteran working out, unsure about playing future

Want more sports news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.