NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Each NFL team’s out of nowhere season

By Randy Gurzi

15 Nov 1998: Running back Jamal Anderson #32 and wide receiver Terance Mathis #81 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrate during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons defeated the 49ers 31-19.
15 Nov 1998: Running back Jamal Anderson #32 and wide receiver Terance Mathis #81 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrate during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons defeated the 49ers 31-19. /
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Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Dallas Cowboys: The Dak and Zeke show in 2016

In 2016, the Dallas Cowboys were hoping to rebound from a rough 2015 campaign that saw them struggle without quarterback Tony Romo and running back DeMarco Murray. After leading the league in rushing during 2014, Murray left for the Philadelphia Eagles and Romo missed most of the season due to a broken collarbone.

Dallas decided it was best to land an elite back, rather than plug and place players as they did in 2015. This is a big reason the Cowboys used the No. 4 overall pick on Ezekiel Elliott. He was supposed to help take the load off Romo, but instead, he became one of two star rookies that season, along with fourth-round pick Dak Prescott.

Romo again suffered an injury, as did his backup Kellen Moore. That opened the door for Prescott to start under center and he never gave the job back. Prescott ended up winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after leading the team to a 13-3 record and a bye week in the NFC playoffs.

The young signal-caller was supposed to be a work in progress, but he finished with 3,667 yards passing with 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He completed an impressive 67.8 percent of his passes and added another six touchdowns on the ground.

Elliott was also a monster for the Cowboys, rushing for a league-leading 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns. This came despite the fact that he sat out the final game with the division already being won. Both players are still leading the offense, but now are working towards securing massive new deals as the faces of America’s Team.

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