Did we just watch Ezekiel Elliott’s best game with the Dallas Cowboys?

Was that the best game of Ezekiel Elliott’s young career? According to the statistics, you can certainly make that argument.

The Dallas Cowboys’ third-year running back gained a career-high 240 yards from scrimmage in Sunday’s 26-24 win over the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium.

Elliott’s 152 yards rushing is the third-most of his career and his 88 yards receiving (on four catches) are the second-most in his career. Elliott’s 38-yard touchdown catch at the end of the first half gave the Cowboys a 13-10 lead. His 34-yard reception with 1:23 remaining in the game set up the Brett Maher’s game-winning field goal.

“I have not thought this year that we weren’t going to throw the ball downfield,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “It’s been a part of our plans. So I would expect us to. The stuff you saw — Zeke’s touchdown on the throw to him out of the backfield, and then actually the last one there. Good things happen when we you throw the ball down the field.”

Elliott is the first player this season with 200 or more yards from scrimmage in a game. It’s the third time he has done it since his 2016 rookie season, which tied for the most in the league in that span, according to NFL Research.

Elliott lined up in the slot receiver position with Prescott in the shotgun before the crucial connection in the final minutes.

“I was excited. I got them one-on-one with me. He made a perfect throw. One pass, we won the game,” Elliott said. “At first I didn’t know [the pass was coming to him]. I saw one of the safeties go in, and I knew that I had an opportunity to get that ball.”

Elliott said there wasn’t much difference in game plan from previous weeks, but there’s no denying that Prescott looked (and attempted) more throws downfield than he had prior in 2018.

“I wouldn’t say we put in too much more than we have in the past,” he said. “We had a great screen game, and Dak gave me a couple check-downs and that last big pass.”

Jones said the over-the-shoulder catch Elliott made should be a play “we all remember.”

“We were using him every way we could use him and he was being effective,” Jones said. “We tried to do it last week and had a couple of plays we’d like to have back. But this week he was making the plays. That catch over his shoulder when it all counted should be one we all remember and I’m glad I got to see it. But I’ve never seen him play any better than he played today.”

Zeke’s big day

A look at Ezekiel Elliott’s best days in the NFL: