Dak and Zeke Make Americas Team Great Again Tshirt

The Dallas Cowboys were once America'southward Squad. In their 1990s heyday, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin won three Super Bowls, and no matter where y'all're from, y'all knew at least ane diehard Cowboys fan.

But 20 years of futility slowly changed that — until last flavour. With rookie sensations Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott in the fold, Dallas started to look like a team that fans across the nation can comprehend once once again.

The duo of Prescott and Elliott, plus one of the about consistent offensive lines in the league, paved the style for the team'due south 13-3 cease in 2016. The Cowboys were the elevation seed in the NFC but fell short in the divisional circular of the playoffs against the Packers.

But with these two young, exciting players anchoring the criminal offence, forth with star receiver Dez Bryant, the Cowboys are prepare to compete for years to come.

Prescott and Elliott eclipsed expectations equally rookies

A 4-12 season in 2015 landed the Cowboys the 4th-overall option, which they used on Elliott. It's a risk taking a running back that high present, merely Elliott is a special player.

He accounted for nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage, leading the league with i,631 rushing yards. Elliott was besides was third in the NFL last season for scoring backside simply LeGarrette Blount and Jordan Howard. His 2016 functioning even earned him six votes for the NFL's MVP accolade.

Elliott's teammate was even more of a pleasant surprise. The Cowboys drafted Prescott hoping he could develop into Tony Romo's heir credible. Prescott was a fourth-circular pick and the eighth quarterback off the board, but he outperformed the others — including Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, the beginning- and second-overall picks in 2016.

Information technology was Prescott, not Elliott, who won Offensive Rookie of the Yr honors afterwards an injury to Romo during the preseason forced the young quarterback into action before than the team expected. Prescott was so skillful in Romo'due south stead that the squad had no choice but to move forward with him fifty-fifty when Romo returned.

Prescott threw for iii,667 yards and 23 touchdowns against just four interceptions. His kickoff selection of the flavor didn't even happen until Calendar week 6 confronting the Green Bay Packers, and that put Prescott ahead of Tom Brady in the tape books for the most passing attempts without a selection.

Prescott and Elliott are just fun to lookout

Prescott and Elliott relish themselves on the field, and it shows. Elliott gave us some of the virtually entertaining celebration dances last flavor, including a memorable jump into a giant Salvation Ground forces bucket:

Their rapport is obvious off the field, also. Terminal year, they entertained united states with an epic prank war that started with Elliott shooting straw wrappers at Prescott during an interview. Merely then Prescott got his revenge by filling Elliott's locker with Grand&M's. Zeke too roasted his quarterback well-nigh his shoe choices, though Dak finally won Elliott's respect for wearing a pair of Yeezy'south.

The horseplay hasn't stopped this offseason as Elliott rocked a cowboy hat during an interview session:

Prescott seized the opportunity to crack a joke about it, though Elliott gave it correct back:

Dak to Zeke: "Where did they find a [cowboy] hat large plenty to fit you?"

Zeke: "I'm gonna give you this chapeau to cover your hairline."

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June xiv, 2017

Elliott and Prescott clearly take a good relationship, and it makes them seem more accessible to fans. That showed during Cowboys minicamp, when Prescott brought Raymond "Ray Ray" Melgarejo out onto the field to run some drills with the offense. Melgarejo, who came all the mode from California as role of the Make-a-Wish program, got to manus the ball off to Elliott during drills, too.

The heave Prescott and Elliott have given to the squad is measurable. The acme-selling NFL jersey from July to October of 2016 wasn't Tom Brady's or Aaron Rodgers'. It was Elliott'southward. Prescott's no slouch. His jersey sales ranked 5th in the NFL over that timeframe.

And that hasn't changed much since that fourth dimension. Heading into their second flavour in the NFL, Prescott and Elliott are entrenched in the top five:

In an era when the league is baffled and concerned by declining Tv set ratings, the Cowboys were a lifesaver in 2016. People tuned in to spotter the squad'southward dynamic rookies play, consistently giving the Cowboys the best television ratings in the league.

But Elliott and Prescott tin't do it solitary

Defensive weaknesses would end up existence Dallas' downfall in the playoffs. The Cowboys' laissez passer defence force was ranked 26th in the league last season, and it was lit up by Aaron Rodgers with 355 yards and two touchdowns in the divisional circular. The secondary became a bigger need after Dallas lost Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr in gratuitous agency.

The Cowboys used back-to-back picks on cornerbacks, with Chidobe Awuzie from Colorado in the second round, and Jourdan Lewis out of Michigan in the third round. They also got a couple of tardily-round secondary players, safe Xavier Woods and cornerback Marquez White, in the sixth circular.

The Cowboys brought in gratis agent Nolan Carroll, who previously played for the Eagles. Carroll was arrested for DWI this offseason and could miss time if the NFL decides to suspend him for it. These new players join Orlando Scandrick, who started x games for Dallas last year, and Anthony Brown, who had nine starts. There's going to exist a heated competition for starting roles.

Scandrick, who was slowed by injuries last season, doesn't feel threatened by the addition of so much defensive back talent.

"Similar I told them, I'm non going to give anybody my chore and I'g going to come up work every day," Scandrick said, via the team's website. "I want to be back to where I was, and until I'm dorsum to where I was and I'm doing it Sunday after Dominicus subsequently Sunday, I'm going to proceed striving. And and so when I become dorsum to where I was, I'chiliad going to reach for higher."

The pass rush should also be better this season. Dallas used the 28th overall selection on defensive terminate Taco Charlton and brought in Stephen Paea and Damontre Moore in complimentary agency. Jaylon Smith, who could have been a top-five pick in 2016 if he hadn't suffered a catastrophic knee joint injury at the stop of his final season at Notre Dame, should be healthy and ready to get for side by side season also.

DeMarcus Lawrence was only on the field for nine games last flavour due to injury and a break, only he should be healthy. Benson Mayowa, who led the squad with six sacks last season, volition also be dorsum.

With an criminal offence that ranked 5th in the league last flavor for total yards and points per game, even a niggling improvement with the laissez passer blitz and pass defense volition go a long mode toward helping the Cowboys take a step frontwards next flavour.

Getting back to America's Team status

The name first started circulating dorsum in 1978, thanks to Bob Ryan, now the vice president of NFL Films. He coined the term for the Cowboys when writing the script for voiceover for the team's 1978 highlight flick.

"I noticed and so, and had noticed earlier, that wherever the Cowboys played, you saw people in the stands with Cowboys jerseys and hats and pennants," Ryan said. "Plus, they were always the national game on television."

Nether legendary coach Tom Landry, the Cowboys had 20 consecutive winning seasons, from 1966 through 1985. Over that span, Dallas went to v Super Bowls, winning ii.

Simply Dallas hasn't gotten past the divisional round since 1995, the concluding twelvemonth the Cowboys won a Super Bowl. As Dallas descended into mediocrity, it'southward only natural that casual fans' feelings toward the team became lukewarm.

The Cowboys however get enough of national exposure. They concluded up with six primetime games during the 2016 season, and they've got four on the schedule for 2017. In that location's a good chance some of their other games could get flexed to Sunday Nighttime Football game later in the season, too.

So when y'all become stuck with the Cowboys every bit the national game on any given Sunday, settle in and enjoy watching Prescott and Elliott. They've made Dallas a fun squad to watch, and because of them, the Cowboys are on their manner to becoming America's Team again.

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Source: https://www.sbnation.com/2017/6/19/15778508/dak-prescott-ezekiel-elliott-dallas-cowboys-americas-team-again

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