Zeke cannot do what Pollard does

[CalPolyTechnique]

Why does Derrick Henry still hit big plays and Zeke doesn't?

I'd rather have Kareem Hunt then Zeke.

For as great as Zeke is we have no hardware to show for it. Nothing. Maybe 3.5 yards and a cloud of dust is not the way?

Exactly.

I guess Zeke’s been tired the past 1,300 carries.

 

[Bullflop]

I'm not especially sure Ezekiel is the type to emphasize keeping himself in prime condition throughout the offseason. In fact, I kinda doubt it. He was known as a partying type during his college days. I don't think I've seen anything to convince me that's changed but I could be wrong. Will he be able to play at his present condition another year from now? I wouldn't bet on it but he's not getting any younger, either. He's certainly not the speedy stud puppy he was as a rookie but not many big and heavy RBs last indefinitely, either! I can't help but to wonder how much longer he'll last, if truth be told. I'm sure we'll see.

 

[charron]

When Pollard is running well like yesterday I think he deserves more carries but not all. I believe there should be a balance of about 8-10 carries for pollard, while zeke should be about 15+.

 

[GMO415]

So we have Thunder and Lightning. We're good

 

[OmerV]

Like conjugate verbs, knit a sweater and play the banjo?

 

[Dre11]

Well one has a national championship. I say this with sarcasm as does zeke for that matter

I think he was talking about in the NFL. But you're right

 

[buybuydandavis]

And Pollard cannot do what Zeke does.

Zeke is a very good chain moving pile driving RB. He gets the tough yards between the tackles. Often gets yards when there's nowhere to go.

Pollard is an explosive 3rd down back. He explodes through the hole and makes big plays.

This is one of the best combos in the NFL. Zeke takes the majority of the carries and softens 'em up, Pollard takes the top off.

Why is it whenever Pollard has a longer run people start screaming that he should get all the carries? It's just silly. How do you not see that it's the combo that's awesome?

They complement each other well. Even better if we made more use of them simultaneously to threaten inside, outside, and deep.

Still, they benefit a lot from the threat of the WRs, and the oline. Even with all the problems on the oline this year, they've rated top 5 for run blocking.

They aren't that great, and particularly Zeke relative to his reputation, who has been a fumbling grinder this year. That's a bad combo. Someone showed EPA for Zeke this year recently. Decidedly negative, while paid elite money. Bad contract.

It will cost us 12mil or so *more* to keep Zeke for the next 2 years. Basically, half price relative to his yearly contract cost. But if he were just a back from another team, like the Ravens, who would want us to sign him even for that?

 

[buybuydandavis]

Zeke has been underperforming, no doubt. However, he also had a trash OL early on. It's not coming together, and it shows.

Run blocking was rated high top for the year *before* this game. And Pollard somehow has managed to produce 5ypc+ with the same oline.

 

[Batman1980]

Zeke is the hammer, Pollard is the bee. I prefer Pollard but that's just because I prefer players who can make a house call from anywhere on the field.

 

[ondaedg]

Not going to bag on Zeke too much, but he's definitely lost a step which is odd to say from someone that's 25. The burst he had his first few seasons simply isn't there.

I do think getting Pollard a good ten carries a game will help keep Zeke a bit more rested.

Zeke has clearly put some pounds on to be able to take the punishment and it makes sense why he would do it.

 

[BlueStar22]

Why is there always a comparison? Both guys are different types of runners. I still don't trust Pollard with the ball. He's been returning kicks almost two season and still makes bad decisions with the ball. If I have to have a game sealing drive, gimme Zeke.

 

[BlueStar22]

Pollard does well in relief. He doesn't have Zeke's body. Give him 20 plus carries, and he'll break.
The rotation works for them and the Cowboys.
Don't mess with that which works.

It's crazy that more people don't understand this. I'm not surprised with this fanbase though.

 

[kskboys]

Run blocking was rated high top for the year *before* this game. And Pollard somehow has managed to produce 5ypc+ with the same oline.

Poor rating system.

 

[kskboys]

Zeke is the hammer, Pollard is the bee. I prefer Pollard but that's just because I prefer players who can make a house call from anywhere on the field.

You must hate Emmit.

 

[Dreski]

Ever since Joseph Randle, I’ve had a “be careful what you wish for” when we talk about our second string running backs being better than our starter.

Zeke and Pollard have different strengths and weaknesses, and I feel lucky the cowboys got both!

 

[RonnieT24]

- If Murray was a helluva lot better than that ...and the Cowboys team really thought he was a helluva lot better than that ...then the team would
have re-signed him to the deal DeMarco coveted ..simple and plain.

- But the thought was he was a B-tier player (at best) - even with a whopping 1800 rushing season - not even zeke or emmitt or Dorsett succeeded more.
but it was only a certain type of contract they were willing to dish out and offer him ....
..ditto with a number of FAs that departed here as well.
Frankly while the Cowboys thought Murray had a helluva year - they obviously did not think he was a helluva player.
Murray had a 91 yard run vs a porous Rams defense too,. .but that has not changed their view of him as a workhorse rather than a breakaway back.

That burst and breakaway element was the leading reason why Zeke was drafted overall ... what made him standout and special enough to draft that high
Cowboys didn't see Murray as special, and age 27 is in his prime, but that wasn't an element either. Ironic Murray retired at just age 29.

- i know you're gonna be committed to bias-thinking Zeke is still the 2016 version ,that if he chose to in according to his OL,
he could break the big home run at anytime but chooses to do so in the 4th quarter. Yet we don't see his own version of 30 and 40+ plus runs
regardless of quarters and ending moments of games. He's top heavy and just no longer has that kind of acceleration pullaway burst.

I have never once said Zeke was the same guy as the 2016 version. He's a far more patient runner now than that guy ever was. He's more powerful now and he runs more intelligently. Big runs are nearly always a product of defensive lapses and good blocks more than they are of the back. Very few backs can get to the second level on their own and unless there is a missed tackle of in the case of Jones yesterday on Pollard using the infamous "ole' tackle" runs of 40+ yard runs are extremely rare. I don't put nearly as much stock in them as some. After all I got to watch every snap of Emmitt's career and I know long runs were only an occasional feature in Emmitt's game. Yet he was the most productive runner in NFL history. You guys are looking for something that frankly just isn't all that important. If Zeke breaks off a couple of 40 yarders in the next two or three games will that change anything about the quality of runner he is? It might for some but it won't mean squat to me. It's what he does on the other 99% of his runs that matter more to me than what happens on the 1%. Way more. Those runs are nice for Sportscenter.. but if they were key to winning games Barry Sanders would have retired with a couple of rings ..and Adrian Peterson would have played in more than 5 playoff games in his entire career. and Saquon Barkley would not still be seeking his team's 9th win EVER with him in the lineup. Don't get me wrong.. I love highlight reel runs.. after all I was a running back almost my whole life growing up. But I understand just how unimportant they are in the grand scheme of things. If people disagree that's fine.. We all don't have to see thing the same way... Life would be boring if we did.

 

[kskboys]

I have never once said Zeke was the same guy as the 2016 version. He's a far more patient runner now than that guy ever was. He's more powerful now and he runs more intelligently. Big runs are nearly always a product of defensive lapses and good blocks more than they are of the back. Very few backs can get to the second level on their own and unless there is a missed tackle of in the case of Jones yesterday on Pollard using the infamous "ole' tackle" runs of 40+ yard runs are extremely rare. I don't put nearly as much stock in them as some. After all I got to watch every snap of Emmitt's career and I know long runs were only an occasional feature in Emmitt's game. Yet he was the most productive runner in NFL history. You guys are looking for something that frankly just isn't all that important. If Zeke breaks off a couple of 40 yarders in the next two or three games will that change anything about the quality of runner he is? It might for some but it won't mean squat to me. It's what he does on the other 99% of his runs that matter more to me than what happens on the 1%. Way more. Those runs are nice for Sportscenter.. but if they were key to winning games Barry Sanders would have retired with a couple of rings ..and Adrian Peterson would have played in more than 5 playoff games in his entire career. and Saquon Barkley would not still be seeking his team's 9th win EVER with him in the lineup. Don't get me wrong.. I love highlight reel runs.. after all I was a running back almost my whole life growing up. But I understand just how unimportant they are in the grand scheme of things. If people disagree that's fine.. We all don't have to see thing the same way... Life would be boring if we did.

I am standing up and applauding.

 

[RonnieT24]

Poor rating system.

No rating system that doesn't come with a playsheet and a diagram of the exact assignment of each blocker on every play should not be treated with any more deference than guys' opinions here. The line gave up 7 TFLs and 3 sacks against Pittsburgh yet someone was trying to peddle the fantasy that they had a "good game." GTFOH. Any idiot can see that our line has performed poorly most of this season. It's a testament to how hard Zeke is to drop for a loss that we don't have more negative yardage plays than we do. Having the Sunday ticket I get to watch stretches of every other team in action and I can tell you there are lines out there that are kicking the collective arses of the defensive fronts they face. Ours has not done that with any regularity at all this year.. The Browns, the Colts, the Cardinals, the Titans, the Rams, all have lines that knock people off the ball in the run game. Now maybe the rest of the league is almost as beset with injuries that our line breaks into the top half of the league by default. Because there are some lines that are playing even worse than ours.. But just because other teams are stinking MORE than you doesn't mean you don't still stink. Yesterday was a huge step in the right direction. I think the Vikes only had 1 or 2 TFLs and there was a lot less leakage into the backfield on our run plays. And in some cases we got TP and Zeke to the second level untouched. Some of that may be their coming together and some of it may be the Vikings cut too many good players from last year's stout defense. We'll find out Thursday because we aint pushin that bunch around.. The WFTs have a very good front which manhandled us last time. I expect this round to be little closer to even. And as long as the defense continues to fly around we should be able to hold that putrid offense to under 14 points.

 

[gimmesix]

Why does Derrick Henry still hit big plays and Zeke doesn't?

I'd rather have Kareem Hunt then Zeke.

For as great as Zeke is we have no hardware to show for it. Nothing. Maybe 3.5 yards and a cloud of dust is not the way?

Except he's never averaged less than 4 YPC for a season despite being the focal point of the defense, and he still has time to raise that YPC.

I was just watching some footage of Barry Foster (because I thought he was comparable to Elliott) in his heyday with Pittsburgh and he had some incredible blocking in front of him. I mean not just immediate but second level that allowed him to run to daylight.

I think we give our offensive line too much credit when it comes to Elliott (just like some did when it came to Smith). The Pitt blocking in the video I watched was like on the Pollard play multiplied by 10 (the only difference is there wasn't anybody with a chance of even making the play like the Minnesota corner had).

 

[gjkoeppen]

And Pollard cannot do what Zeke does.

Zeke is a very good chain moving pile driving RB. He gets the tough yards between the tackles. Often gets yards when there's nowhere to go.

Pollard is an explosive 3rd down back. He explodes through the hole and makes big plays.

This is one of the best combos in the NFL. Zeke takes the majority of the carries and softens 'em up, Pollard takes the top off.

Why is it whenever Pollard has a longer run people start screaming that he should get all the carries? It's just silly. How do you not see that it's the combo that's awesome?

There has been way to many times I've seen Elliott just run straight ahead and run into a pile of bodies but if he cut and went one gap over there looked to be more room to run and get more yardage.
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