Earlier this week, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant shared his opinion that running back Ezekiel Elliott will set a new rookie rushing record this season by gaining more yards than the 1,808 Eric Dickerson managed in 1983.
Bryant said he thinks Elliott can surpass 2,000 rushing yards, but Elliott isn’t as keen on discussing the topic. He said any yards he gets are an accomplishment for the entire team rather than just himself and that he always wants the focus to be on the team.
“Because it’s not important,” Elliott said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “You guys want to write stories about the rookie rushing record, and it’s about this team, honestly. It’s not about a record. That’s not what we’re focused on. We’re a team, and honestly I don’t want any attention being put towards that. It should be about this team, and it should be about these guys. It should be about our relationship. It shouldn’t be about records.”
The nice thing for Elliott is that we’ve already seen how much prodigious rushing numbers, record-setting or otherwise, boost the fortunes of the entire team. Elliott leads the league in rushing through six weeks and the Cowboys are 5-1, which provides plenty of reason to believe that continued success for Elliott as an individual will mean the same for the team as a whole.