Ezekiel Elliott sets Cowboys' rookie record for rushing yards in a season

ByTODD ARCHER
November 20, 2016, 1:50 PM

— -- ARLINGTON, Texas -- With a 2-yard carry on the first series of Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens, running back? Ezekiel Elliott set the Dallas Cowboys' rookie record for rushing yards in a season.

Tony Dorsett had 1,007 yards in 1977 to help lead the Cowboys to a 12-2 record and a win in Super Bowl XII. Dorsett finished the season with 208 carries and had 12 rushing touchdowns to go along with 29 catches for 273 yards and 1 receiving touchdown.

Dorsett was on hand to congratulate Elliott on the record:

Elliott finished with 97 yards to give him 1,102 this season, in a 27-17 win for the Cowboys.

The No. 4 pick in last spring's draft, Elliott entered Sunday leading the NFL with 1,005 yards on 198 carries to go along with 9 rushing touchdowns. He also has 18 catches for 250 yards and 1 receiving touchdown.

Only DeMarco Murray, currently with the Titans, needed fewer games to reach 1,000 yards in a season in team history. Murray reached 1,000 yards in eight games two years ago. Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, needed nine games to reach 1,000 yards in 1995.

Elliott is just the third rookie in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards in nine games, joining Eric Dickerson (1,096 in 1983) and Adrian Peterson (1,081 yards in 2007). Elliott set an NFL rookie record with four straight games of at least 130 yards rushing earlier this season.

Elliott entered Sunday's game just off the pace of Dickerson's rookie record of 1,808 yards for the season.