Cowboys are Giving Pollard a Heavier Load than Zeke in '22

[T-RO]

Here are some reports I generated...

 

[T-RO]

I don't know why the images aren't downscaling to fit the browser. This has worked in the past.

In short, I compared Zeke's first 7 games in 2022 w/Pollards first 7 games in 2023...

For better or worse the coaches are giving Tony about the same number of carries, but 3x-4x the load as a receiver in the passing game. And Tony is playing about 8 snaps more per game than Zeke did last year.

 

[Techsass]

I don't know why the images aren't downscaling to fit the browser. This has worked in the past.

In short, I compared Zeke's first 7 games in 2022 w/Pollards first 7 games in 2023...

For better or worse the coaches are giving Tony about the same number of carries, but 3x-4x the load as a receiver in the passing game. And Tony is playing about 8 snaps more per game than Zeke did last year.

It is fitting fine on my tablet's screen.

 

[Starforever]

I don't know why the images aren't downscaling to fit the browser. This has worked in the past.

In short, I compared Zeke's first 7 games in 2022 w/Pollards first 7 games in 2023...

For better or worse the coaches are giving Tony about the same number of carries, but 3x-4x the load as a receiver in the passing game. And Tony is playing about 8 snaps more per game than Zeke did last year.

What would you expect? According to some, this should of been happening last year.

 

[T-RO]

What would you expect? According to some, this should of been happening last year.

Indeed.

 

[T-RO]

There is, I believe, some coaching malpractice in how Pollard has been deployed in several games. I'll talk about this tomorrow.

 

[DogFace]

At this point I’d like to see Dowdle much more. He runs hard and can lesson the load on Tony.

It looks like everyone that said he wasn’t and everydown back were right. Or maybe it’s his injury-?

 

[Coogiguy03]

I don't know why the images aren't downscaling to fit the browser. This has worked in the past.

In short, I compared Zeke's first 7 games in 2022 w/Pollards first 7 games in 2023...

For better or worse the coaches are giving Tony about the same number of carries, but 3x-4x the load as a receiver in the passing game. And Tony is playing about 8 snaps more per game than Zeke did last year.

Some of those receptions are bail out passes to the flats that could have gotten Tony killed several times

 

[T-RO]

It looks like everyone that said he wasn’t and everydown back were right. Or maybe it’s his injury-?

There is no longer such a thing in modern football as an "every down back". Every team now has two backs to share the load...or three.

The closest exception is the broken Tennessee Titans. And yeah..the "King" weighs 245 with insane speed...and the Titans are still hopelessly broken.

 

[T-RO]

Here is the evidence, IMO, of coaching malpractice. I'll back up why it's so excessive in a couple follow-up posts.

Pollard isn't the type of back that should be getting the heaviest usage in the entire league. Yet in games 2 and 3 that's exactly what coaches did. Rush attempts + receiving targets were near 30. That high intensity contact plays combined with a heavy snap count.

And for what? Esp. in the Jets game when Dallas was blowing 'em out.

 

[T-RO]

Few around here seem to appreciate what a heavy work load looks like for a modern RB.

Here is Travis Etienne. He is leading the entire NFL in carries. He's also involved fair bit as receiver.

There aren't any 30 carry-a-game guys in the NFL. Not any 25. Not even any 20! This is the heaviest load in the league.

 

[Walker]

I am sure a lot of people here are happy to see we didn't sign a long term deal now. He needs another back 1-2 punch style and money should be allocated based on the talent of the 2 backs.

 

[T-RO]

And for those who might be curious to see Zeke '22 with the graphing. Zeke's load in '22 was incredibly similar to most "lead backs" in the NFL. Averaging around 15 carries a game.

 

[T-RO]

I am sure a lot of people here are happy to see we didn't sign a long term deal now. He needs another back 1-2 punch style and money should be allocated based on the talent of the 2 backs.

The NFL burns through RBs like Elvis through girls in hotel rooms. They take so much pounding.

In the end...play design plus the blocking, timing and execution by o-line, tight ends and (yes!) receivers make as much difference as the talent of the back. More really.

But I was quite stunned to see how Pollard was used in games 2 & 3 and wonder if it took a tick off his performance in subsequent games.

 

[DanA]

I don't know why the images aren't downscaling to fit the browser. This has worked in the past.

In short, I compared Zeke's first 7 games in 2022 w/Pollards first 7 games in 2023...

For better or worse the coaches are giving Tony about the same number of carries, but 3x-4x the load as a receiver in the passing game. And Tony is playing about 8 snaps more per game than Zeke did last year.

Pollard isn’t as good a pass protector and is better as a reciever. The Westcoast offense also dictates some of this. I personally think Pollard is overused by about 20% and it will hurt us in January but we shall see..

 

[VaqueroTD]

I still don’t understand why they don’t rotate Rico more and put Luepke in some of those goal line runs.

Rico looked better than Pollard against the Niners. I hope they remember that in this Eagles game.

 

[RomoIsGod]

Pales in comparison to what Emmith Smith did in the 99s. That guy was a beast in longevity.

 

[Jake]

Here are some reports I generated...

Pollard isn't built for that. He was never the lead back in college, but this clown show thought he could be Emmitt 2.0.

 

[T-RO]

Pollard isn't built for that. He was never the lead back in college, but this clown show thought he could be Emmitt 2.0.

Most Lead backs in today's NFL get about 14-17 touches a game*. Tony can do that! But old-school Dinos Big Mike and Schotty haven't got the memo about modern RB usage. In those two egregious games they had Pollard getting way, way more touches than Zeke had been getting, and way above league standards.

I do think the analytics department sent an urgent memo to the coaches, as that nonsense stopped after game 3, though the Chargers game was also a tad heavy.

*The heaviest used backs get about 18 carries (22 total touches) a game.

 

[Jake]

Most Lead backs in today's NFL get about 14-17 touches a game*. Tony can do that! But old-school Dinos Big Mike and Schotty haven't got the memo about modern RB usage. In those two egregious games they had Pollard getting way, way more touches than Zeke had been getting, and way above league standards.

I do think the analytics department sent an urgent memo to the coaches, as that nonsense stopped after game 3, though the Chargers game was also a tad heavy.

*The heaviest used backs get about 18 carries (22 total touches) a game.

Tony Pollard's biggest college season: 78 carries, 39 receptions. That's 117 touches in 14 games his senior season - barely over 8 touches a game. That's who he is.