Dallas Cowboys Team Headlines: Rookie Quarterbacks Prepare For Battle In Week 8
By Shawn Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys opened the 2016 NFL season with an impressive 5-1 start before entering their bye week. What is even better is that the Cowboys managed to improve during their time off. The Minnesota Vikings' loss moved the Cowboys into a tie for the best record in the NFC. With their division rival Philadelphia Eagles up next on Sunday Night Football, here is a look at some of the biggest stories coming out of Dallas heading into their Week 8 game.
Dak Prescott vs. Carson Wentz
When the Dallas Cowboys entered the 2016 NFL Draft, they had Carson Wentz in the top spot on their draft board. However, the Eagles traded up to the second spot and drafted Wentz, while Dallas waited until the fourth round to draft Dak Prescott. Both men ended up as starters this year: Wentz when the Eagles traded Sam Bradford and Prescott when Tony Romo was injured.
Dak Prescott is 5-1 with 1,486 passing yards, seven touchdown passes, and only one interception. Wentz Is 4-2 with 1,324 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions. Both quarterbacks are playing well, with Prescott sitting with better numbers. This week will be the first of many meetings between the two quarterbacks as fans might be comparing their numbers for years to come.
Ezekiel Elliott Is Becoming a Perfect Teammate
After six games, Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for 703 yards, the highest total in the NFL. He is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's rookie record of 1,808 yards. There is even a chance people could start to talk 2,000 yards and the NFL rushing record. Elliott was asked about it this week and he didn't even want to talk about it. A rookie could have big dreams about breaking an NFL record in his first season, but Elliott just wanted to talk about his teammates.
"We're going to start these Eric Dickerson questions again," Elliott asked reporters this week. "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."
That is a very impressive attitude for a rookie to have, especially considering some of the egos in the NFL. It looks like the Dallas Cowboys made a great pick in the first round this year.
Cedric Thornton Sees Eagles Rivalry from Both Sides
What defensive lineman Cedric Thornton said this week was not really inflammatory, but it was enough to show why the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles rivalry has started to equal Washington Redskins territory. Thornton spent the first five seasons of his career before signing with the Cowboys this year, and says the feelings between the two teams are the same on both sides of the field.
"I wish I could say it doesn't, but it means a lot to send them home with an L and for us to get the victory just because we put in all the hard work. We want to be the better team, and I want to be the better team than them this year," Thornton said. "It's the same perspective we got here -- we hate 'em. Just like we hate everybody else in the division. We hate them."
