Ezekiel Elliott says he's worried about winning, not breaking Eric Dickerson's record
From the moment Ezekiel Elliott was drafted fourth overall by the Dallas Cowboys, he’s stirred up conversations of potentially being the best offensive rookie in recent memory. Some have even gone as far as to say he’ll break Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record of 1,808 yards.
In order to do so, he’d need to average 115 yards per game the rest of the way. Thus far, he’s averaging just over 109 per game, so he’d need to be even better than he is right now – which is pretty darn good. It’s something many will keep an eye on, but Elliott won’t be one of them.
“Honestly, I never started talking about Eric Dickerson’s record, you guys did,” Elliott said, via the Star-Telegram. “So you guys made that a story, but it’s honestly not something I’m very focused on. I’m focused on going out and winning ballgames. Focused on getting better with the team every week.”
When asked if Dickerson’s record is within reach, Elliott simply said “I don’t know.”
The Cowboys haven’t lessened Elliott’s workload through five weeks as he has more rushing attempts than any running back in the NFL. It’s conceivable that he’ll slow down a bit towards the end of the season just like DeMarco Murray did in 2014, which will hurt his chances at the record.
Not that Elliott’s focused on Dickerson’s mark, but his workload is worth watching as the season goes on.
This isn’t the first time Elliott’s been asked about the record, either. Back in September, he had this to say about it.
“Honestly, yeah, that’s something I do want to accomplish, but it’s not a priority,” Elliott said of breaking Dickerson’s record. “What’s a priority is going out there and winning ballgames every week.”
Perhaps Elliott is realizing how difficult of a record it is to break, or maybe he’s improving his media awareness and focusing on the team more. Either way, Elliott wants to win football games.
