For the first time all season, an offensive player was flagged for lowering his helmet on Sunday.

Ezekiel Elliott was flagged for lowering his head to initiate contact against the Philadelphia Eagles.

He hit safety Corey Graham at the end of a 14-yard pass. Elliott missed five plays after the hit.

"I mean when you're on that sideline, I've got to protect myself," Elliott said. "And if a guy's going low, I've got to go low, too. The rule is meant for the betterment of the game. The rule is for our safety, and if there was illegal helmet-to-helmet contact on there, that's something I need to go look at and work on. That's not OK. It's just a tough play."

Through the first 13 weeks of the season, ESPN's research found that just 10 flags were thrown for lowering the helmet. Until Elliott, all were on defensive players.