FRISCO, Texas – Officially, the margin for error is just a little bit slimmer.
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants on Monday night, improving their record to 6-7. And though the Cowboys still hold the NFC East lead by virtue of division record, it doesn't leave them much cushion in the standings.
Standing in the locker room of a team that has lost three-straight games, Ezekiel Elliott didn't want to hear any of it. With everything that's happening to the Dallas Cowboys recently, it's fair if he isn't worried about another team.
"The focus should already be at an all-time high. There shouldn't be a next level that we can get focused. We're 6-7," Elliott said Wednesday. "We're definitely not comfortable there, and what they do really doesn't change anything in this locker room."
By this point, the talking points sound awfully familiar. The Cowboys have been looking for ways to win games frequently, given that they're 2-4 since the bye week – lowlighted by this current three-game losing streak, which dates back to Nov. 24.
The reason they sound so familiar is because they aren't changing, though. Despite the Eagles' recent win, the NFC East remains putrid, and so the events of the last three weeks haven't done much to hinder the Cowboys' playoff chances.
"It's all ahead of us. We control our destiny. We've just got to go out there and win ball games," Elliott said. "Everything that's happened has already happened. We can't change it. We've just got to focus on now, on this week, this game plan and go out there and win on Sunday."
The Cowboys could use a heck of a final push from Elliott if they're going to make that happen. Elliott told reporters Wednesday that he feels remarkably fresh thanks to a lightened workload this season, not to mention the recent weekend off.
That could come in handy. Elliott hit 1,000 yards on the season last week in Chicago, but he hasn't been hitting the same astronomical highs he's accustomed to. He hasn't enjoyed a 100-yard game since Nov. 4, and his average of 82 rushing yards per game is currently the lowest of his career.
Elliott said he hold himself to a high standard, and he expects to hit the 1,000-yard mark every year of his career. Beyond that, though, he has loftier goals. And the Cowboys still have a chance to accomplish them.
"Win ball games, man," he said. "I'm trying to win a Super Bowl. I really don't care about that number. Who cares if you rush for 2,000 and you don't even make the playoffs?"
