Prime Zeke was faster than pollard

starfan1

starfan1

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Doomsday101 said:
Zeke ran a 4.47 vs Pollard 4.52 in the combines. Personally I don't put much into speed alone at RB.
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pollard had 4.38 pro day that said 40 times mean jack to me and arent reflective of football speed. when pads come on its a different story. My eye test says Pollard is faster and has been but zeke is asked to do more and probably a more complete back.

That said pollard needs more touches from wherever they come from hes much more explosive than zeke. I got to keep telling myself hell get 1300 yards because it sounds so much better than 76 yards a game.
 
CowboyRoy

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RonnieT24 said:
Amen brother.. I honestly don't understand why they were so anxious to send Looney packing. He was never going to be an all pro like Fredbeard but dude was solid and reliable. I'm 100% with you on the line play wince Philbin was hired. Other than that nice 4 game stretch early last season the running game has been sporadic at best. They ran for at least 200 yards 7 times in 2018 and 2019.. And did it a total of twice in 2020 and 2021 combined. They've fallen off.. badly.
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What did zeke average last year with looney? It was less. Looney was a backup.
 
RonnieT24

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CowboyRoy said:
What did zeke average last year with looney? It was less. Looney was a backup.
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INteresting question.. I didn't know the answer so I went and looked it up.

Game # Opponent Starting Center ... Zeke's stats
1 Rams
 
RonnieT24

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RonnieT24 said:
INteresting question.. I didn't know the answer so I went and looked it up.

Game # Opponent Starting Center ... Zeke's stats
1 Rams
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Damnit.. I took too long to tabulate the numbers so it ate the rest of my post... but from what I have left on my calc note pad Zeke averaged 4.1 ypc (156 - 643) when Looney was at center in 2020 vs 3.8 (88 - 336) behind Biadasz. So the run game functioned slightly better with Looney at C vs Biadasz. It was better overall in 2021.. but having Dak, Tyron, Collins and Zack all upright most of the season probably had more to do with that than the center.
 
CowboyRoy

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RonnieT24 said:
Last year was 2021.. you mean last season, which was 2020.. and he finished right at 4.0 that year. 4.1 with Looney at C and 3.8 with Biadasz.
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Biadasz was 4.2 this year for Zeke and thats with a hurt knee. Zeke healthy with Biadasz this year was 5.3 ypc and Pollard leading the NFL at something like 6.7 ypc.

Biadasz has been good in the run game. Its pass protection he has struggled at times.

Looney was a career backup. Never like him starting.
 
RonnieT24

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CowboyRoy said:
Biadasz was 4.2 this year for Zeke and thats with a hurt knee. Zeke healthy with Biadasz this year was 5.3 ypc and Pollard leading the NFL at something like 6.7 ypc.

Biadasz has been good in the run game. Its pass protection he has struggled at times.

Looney was a career backup. Never like him starting.
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Fair enough.. but he was better insurance against injury than McGovern or anybody else we had on the interior line. And Zeke did win his last rushing title with Looney at center and had his second highest ypc that year with 4.7, but again, that was with the all-Pros playing alongside most of the year. I would also question if Biadasz has truly been good in the run game. There are dozens highlights out there of him helping Zack Martin while the ILB shoots past him and blows up the play in the backfield. Maybe when he gets on a guy he blocks him but it sure seems like he fails to get his guy a lot. Certainly more than either of us would like I think..
 
RonnieT24

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Whirlwin said:
did you forget about The foot injury Plashes fasciitis
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No one has forgotten Pollard's injury. Except people calling for him to start apparently. He has missed more games due to injury in 3 years than Zeke has missed in 6. But people think giving him MORE work is the answer. It detaches from reality. Feel free to dislike Zeke all you want, but you can't replace him with a guy who gets hurt while handling less than half the load.
 
CowboyRoy

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RonnieT24 said:
Fair enough.. but he was better insurance against injury than McGovern or anybody else we had on the interior line. And Zeke did win his last rushing title with Looney at center and had his second highest ypc that year with 4.7, but again, that was with the all-Pros playing alongside most of the year. I would also question if Biadasz has truly been good in the run game. There are dozens highlights out there of him helping Zack Martin while the ILB shoots past him and blows up the play in the backfield. Maybe when he gets on a guy he blocks him but it sure seems like he fails to get his guy a lot. Certainly more than either of us would like I think..
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Looney is good backup for sure. Low end starter.

Last year was essentially Biadasz rookie year so I am not too worried. But he has to show marked improvement this year. Center is too important to have an average starter.
 
RonnieT24

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CowboyRoy said:
Looney is good backup for sure. Low end starter.

Last year was essentially Biadasz rookie year so I am not too worried. But he has to show marked improvement this year. Center is too important to have an average starter.
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Sounds like we finally agree on something. Biadasz did look stronger at the point of attack in 2021 but there were just so many blown assignments it left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't know how many of those were bad calls from the sideline or Dak so I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. But if he starts double teaming some skinny lil DE with Zack Martin while the mike backer blows up our running play I'm gonna scream!!! Oh and don't think I didn't notice that you included the fact that when healthy Zeke was killin it last season as well. ;-) If he is able to do that all season we're winning 14 games and if we can get Moore to call enough running plays (and not all up the middle) will win a couple of playoff games too.
 
Doomsday101

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starfan1 said:
pollard had 4.38 pro day that said 40 times mean jack to me and arent reflective of football speed. when pads come on its a different story. My eye test says Pollard is faster and has been but zeke is asked to do more and probably a more complete back.

That said pollard needs more touches from wherever they come from hes much more explosive than zeke. I got to keep telling myself hell get 1300 yards because it sounds so much better than 76 yards a game.
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Could be but Pollard did not even get that many carries in college, used much more as a receiver than a RB. I have no issue with him getting more carries and involved more overall on offense. I do think he will have to do better at blocking and blitz pickups or else he will see limited time at RB, like or not it comes with the job. As for Zeke, I see a lot of people down on him mainly due to the pay, I think at age 27 in a couple days, Zeke has more tread left to produce. It falls on him to go out and get it done
 
RonnieT24

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Doomsday101 said:
Could be but Pollard did not even get that many carries in college, used much more as a receiver than a RB. I have no issue with him getting more carries and involved more overall on offense. I do think he will have to do better at blocking and blitz pickups or else he will see limited time at RB, like or not it comes with the job. As for Zeke, I see a lot of people down on him mainly due to the pay, I think at age 27 in a couple days, Zeke has more tread left to produce. It falls on him to go out and get it done
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Ironically Pollard has gotten incrementally better each year in the league but he's still pretty far below Zeke in that regard. As you say, Zeke is about to be 27 and should have 3-5 more productive years left in the tank. But the reality is that he's not likely to get MORE durable going forward so no matter what the Cowboys do having a good backup for him is paramount. He's going to miss games.. Or play hampered like last year. I don't think anybody wants to see that so Pollard or whomever needs to be able to do what Zeke does and not let the any 250-270 pound guys with a head of steam break Dak in half and thus end our season. We lost Romo twice to poor blocking.. Once to the Gronkowski whiff in 2010 and again in 2015 when basically none of the backs seemed all that keen on blocking.
 
SteveTheCowboy

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RonnieT24 said:
Ironically Pollard has gotten incrementally better each year in the league but he's still pretty far below Zeke in that regard. As you say, Zeke is about to be 27 and should have 3-5 more productive years left in the tank. But the reality is that he's not likely to get MORE durable going forward so no matter what the Cowboys do having a good backup for him is paramount. He's going to miss games.. Or play hampered like last year. I don't think anybody wants to see that so Pollard or whomever needs to be able to do what Zeke does and not let the any 250-270 pound guys with a head of steam break Dak in half and thus end our season. We lost Romo twice to poor blocking.. Once to the Gronkowski whiff in 2010 and again in 2015 when basically none of the backs seemed all that keen on blocking.
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Despite the Zeke bagging accusation I get..I am ALL FOR Tony getting more touches...and least partially in zeke expense.

We wasted his 25+ carries per game...may never happen again unless we take the o-line/run scheme seriously...and make Dak a run threat again. Defenses get too lazy or too aggressive way too easy on us and I think it's because we are so predictable.

But Keep Pollard involved. Sub him in NOT just when zeke raised his hand...as if he's in charge of who's on the field? Have both in more often!

Keep zeke healthy but fed. Commitment to the running game mean you have the people and the plan. We lack at least one of them.

Why are we wasting both of these guys? Maddening!
 
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Jarntt

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"Prime Zeke was faster than pollard"

Who cares? No one had a problem with Prime Zeke. It's Zeke of today that is overpaid and used like he is still prime Zeke that fans have an issue with from both a snap count and cap perspective
 
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