Running back coach Gary Brown really wants Ezekiel Elliott to reach all of his landmarks as a rookie running back. But they are probably different landmarks than the ones people are talking about.
You might have heard (or done the math yourself) that Elliott is on pace to position himself to break Eric Dickerson's 1984 rookie rushing record. Or better yet, Elliott could become the first rookie running back to rush for 2,000 yards.
The landmarks that Brown are referring are specific to each play. In fact, every single rushing play the Cowboys run include landmarks that Elliott is expected to surpass.
"Every run we have has a landmark," Brown said. "Every run we have has a pace. So he needs to make sure he's on point with that landmark and that pace because the guys up front are working very hard for us to get to those landmarks. So we have to make sure we're doing our part."
Elliott's biggest appeal to fans is probably his ability to break free for huge gains in the open field, but the Cowboys are more concerned with making sure he never comes short on the expected to yardage assigned to each specific play. "No matter what the situation of the game is we have to make sure we hit those landmarks," Brown reiterated.
Accomplishing small goals is probably the best way to accomplish a big goal, but Brown doesn't spend much time thinking about the 2,000 yard landmark.
"We don't really talk about that in our room," Brown said. "We just talk about wins. If that happens it happens. We're not looking for that. He's not looking for that."
