Zeke's 2017 Cowboys Goal: 'Take It To The House'
FRISCO (105.3 THE FAN) - For their opponents, it may be the most frightening thought about the 2017 Dallas Cowboys: "I think there is big room for improvement," says Ezekiel Elliott, who last year led the NFL in rushing yards and was an MVP finalist.
Elliott rushed for 1,631 yards last season, posting one of the most successful seasons ever for a rookie … and a spectacular campaign by any measure. But Zeke sees ways to be more spectacular.
"I think I left a lot of yards on the field (last season)," Elliott said. "Where I think I can make the biggest improvement is becoming an elite runner in the second level. That's what's going to propel you from 1,600 to 1,800 to 1,900 yards. And making sure I make all those plays count, not leaving any yards on the field."
Are there specific ways for Elliott to improve on what was an All-Pro season? He thinks so. Part of that is work ethic. Part of it is elusiveness.
"You got to keep working, keep grinding," he said. "I've got to keep finishing my runs in practice and making it like clockwork. Making it become like a natural habit to make long runs and make guys miss in the secondary. It's just repetition."
Elliott has developed a habit of post-OTA session film study with pals Dak Prescott and Dez Bryant. You get the idea that his concepts on self-improvement may have come from that darkened room.
"We're just getting together after every OTA and watching film, helping each other out and explaining to each other what our jobs are so we can know what everyone around us is doing so we can do our job better," Elliott said.
And Zeke's do-better task in 2017, the one that can take him beyond 1,600 yards and maybe toward 2,000?
"When you get a one-on-one matchup, make that guy miss," Elliott said. "Take it to the house."