The eventual winner of the NFC East will have a sub-.500 record, but Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott said that hardly matters come playoff time.
Elliott was asked Wednesday if he would be “proud” winning the division with a 7-9 mark. The former All-Pro plainly stated a division title is still a division title, and everyone starts from scratch in the playoffs:
“If we win the division at 7-9, I mean, it’s the same as winning it at 14-2,” Elliott said, via Ed Werder of ESPN. “You go into the playoffs with a 0-0 record, so I mean, winning the division, it doesn’t matter what the record is.”
Indeed, the Cowboys are rather fortunate to even be in this position, given how the year has progressed.
Dallas lost three of its first four games. The Cowboys responded with a Week 5 win over the New York Giants, but lost star quarterback Dak Prescott for the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury.
Injuries would become the theme for Dallas as it lost six of its next seven games, with the offensive line missing all of its starters. The losses up front also made things tougher on Elliott, who struggled to break off explosive runs and be productive in the backfield.
However, the Cowboys have won three straight, scoring 30 or more points in all three games and forcing 10 combined turnovers.
Dallas can win the division with a win over the Giants and a Washington Football Team loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Elliott would certainly welcome the opportunity to keep playing as the Cowboys look to surge into the playoffs.