NFL

2016 Season Notable for Dallas Cowboys

From the emergence of rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott to a surprise defensive statistic, the 2016 regular season was a notable one for the Dallas Cowboys.

Most fans probably didn't expect a 13-3 season when quarterback Tony Romo was injured in a preseason game. The team's win total tied a team record โ€” set in 1992 and tied in 2007 โ€” for wins in a season.

The 9-win improvement over the 2015 Cowboys' 4-12 record marked the biggest turnaround in team history.

Offense
The Cowboys offense finished the season with 358 first downs on the season. Only the 1995 team (364) had more first downs in a season.

With 6,027 yards on the season, the 2016 offense ranks third in team history.

Defensive
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys allowed only 1,336 rushing yards on the season to lead the NFL. Only the 1992 team (1,244) allowed fewer rushing yards in a 16-game season.

The Cowboys' defense was also one of three teams (along with New England and San Diego) to not allow a 100-yard rusher on the season.

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Ezekiel Elliott
Elliott did not play in Sunday's game, but he became the first rookie in team history to win the NFL rushing title. His 1,631 rushing yards rank third in NFL history (surpassing teammate Alfred Morris' 1,613 yards) among rookies.

Emmitt Smith (1991-93) and DeMarco Murray (2014) are the only other Cowboys to win the league rushing title.

Dak Prescott
On Sunday, Prescott became the first rookie quarterback drafted in the fourth round or later to start all 16 games of an NFL season.

Prescott's 3,667 passing yards rank sixth in NFL history among rookie quarterbacks.

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