Post injury guys are struggling

[OmerV]

Some players continue to accelerate past the 40 yards...Pollard has always looked like he hits top speed about 50 yards into a sprint. I think people underestimate the energy expended in breaking that tackle, the way he spun out of that reminded me of Barry Sanders. Once he got going straightline I think he let up just a little in order to protect the ball...if he sells out trying to straight up outrun everyone the ball would have been carried a little looser...which could have resulted in a turnover. He played smart and got 60 yards.

No, you really don't accelerate past 40 yards when running a sprint. If Pollard couldn't reach top speed within 40 yards he wouldn't be successful in the NFL. Some are saying he was sick at the combine, so maybe that was a factor

Of course, if a person were running 80 yards the second 40 would be faster than the 1st 40 because he would already at a full sprint going into the 2nd 40 rather than starting from a stationary position.

You may be right at Pollard's concern with protecting the ball could have slowed him a bit. Heck, just carrying a football might make a player a fraction slower than he would be without it.

 

[OmerV]

He's faster than a 4.5. I don't know what happened there but Pollard has as some of the fastest on field performances in the league last year.

Maybe he is. Players don't always perform their best at the combine. I'm just saying that while he is very fast, it's not out of the question that there could be some fast DB's that could catch him. Obviously that wouldn't happen very often, but we shouldn't think it can't happen

 

[RonnieT24]

It’s simply just this.

Wasn't a problem last year when teams were game planning all week for the other guy... It's just different when YOU have the target painted on you. The Cowboys need a power back. I don't care if it becomes the rook FB. They need somebody other than TP to do it. They are causing the juice to be beaten out of Pollard running him up the middle.

 

[TexasHillbilly]

Pollard - juice is gone. No way he gets caught on that catch in run a year ago. No way

Lewis - can’t keep up with even the slowest receivers in the league. Should be on the bench but for Diggs injury. Izzy should be playing ahead of him.

Gallup - still not back to what he was.

Steele - it’s either a confidence issue or lack of strength in that knee but he has been awful.

But for Steele, all of these guys better be gone next year.

If Pollard would have veered left on that run I believe he would have gotten another 15 yards at least...maybe even a td.

 

[OmerV]

He had food poisoning.
He is a 4.4 guy with elite burst. He ran a "slower" time than Zeke but nobody would argue even Prime Zeke had more burst than Pollard

He does have elite burst - quick acceleration - and that's really his biggest gift as a runner. That's not to say he doesn't have very good straight line speed (he does), but it's not unimaginable that at least some DBs might be able to match or catch him.

 

[RonnieT24]

Maybe he is. Players don't always perform their best at the combine. I'm just saying that while he is fast, he isn't so fast that it's inconceivable a fast DB could catch him. Obviously that probably wouldn't happen most of the time, but we shouldn't think it can't happen

Most DBs are faster than RBs. There are only a handful of running backs in the league who are actually as fast as DBs. Mostert, Taylor, Achane... there might be a couple others but that's really about it. I do think Pollard is faster than his combine time because I think he was nicked up coming in. But I have never bought into the notion that he's some sub 4.3 guy. Quick and explosive yes.. Elite top end speed? Nah..

 

[OmerV]

If Pollard would have veered left on that run I believe he would have gotten another 15 yards at least...maybe even a td.

I saw that too, but of course it's easier to see watching on TV that on the field. We knew exactly where the DB was.

 

[RonnieT24]

He does have elite burst - quick acceleration - and that's really his biggest gift as a runner. That's not to say he doesn't have very good straight line speed (he does), but it's not unimaginable that at least some DBs might be able to match or catch him.

People also often lose sight of the simple fact that when you're carrying the ball you are by definition incapable of hitting top speed because you have one arm hampered and you need to be able to pump both arms to be able to hit top speed. That's why a lot of times you will see guys with slower timed speeds be able to catch guys with faster timed speeds. The ball may not be heavy but it definitely slows you down.

 

[MizzouCowboy4]

True, but some feel better making excuses. Pollard looked fine to me.

20 be all ite. For Pete sake he coming back from a major injury.

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

As for pollard, I don’t think the injury has anything to do with it. I think it has everything to do with using him completely wrong. He’s a hellcat charger that we’re trying to use to plow snow for lack of a better word.

Pollard is the same player this year, but the run blocking is completely unacceptable. He’s getting hit at the line of scrimmage or before nearly every play. I guess people think he should be able to sprout wings and fly to the end zone?

 

[dmq]

Look for them all to get extensions. Jerry loves giving contracts to injured players.

 

[goshann]

Wasn't a problem last year when teams were game planning all week for the other guy... It's just different when YOU have the target painted on you. The Cowboys need a power back. I don't care if it becomes the rook FB. They need somebody other than TP to do it. They are causing the juice to be beaten out of Pollard running him up the middle.

People weren’t game planning for zeke last year trust me

 

[OmerV]

People also often lose sight of the simple fact that when you're carrying the ball you are by definition incapable of hitting top speed because you have one arm hampered and you need to be able to pump both arms to be able to hit top speed. That's why a lot of times you will see guys with slower timed speeds be able to catch guys with faster timed speeds. The ball may not be heavy but it definitely slows you down.

Exactly

 

[Mcsports]

Pollard had one of the fastest top speed runs in the league last year. He looks a lot slower this season.

I think Lewis can still outrun Igbinoghene. On that TD pass, Lewis was not running full speed to keep up with the receiver in motion. That was a mental error.

Gallup is very inconsistent. Against NE, he had 5 catches for 60 yards on 6 targets. This week he had stone hands.

Steele was never a great pass blocker. But he was a bulldozer run blocking. No one on the OL is playing very well right now. Tyron Smith, as old and beat up as he is, might be playing the best of all of them.

I have not doubt that the guys will the serious injuries are not the same. So the question is, what about Diggs next year? if he comes back a step or 2 slower we are just going to have to deal with it.

Thats a dang good informative post. Tip of the cap

 

[RonnieT24]

People weren’t game planning for zeke last year trust me

Why would I trust you? You an NFL defensive coordinator?

 

[RomoIsGod]

He had food poisoning.
He is a 4.4 guy with elite burst. He ran a "slower" time than Zeke but nobody would argue even Prime Zeke had more burst than Pollard

Prime Zeke did had more burst than Pollard. Did you forget 2016?

 

[blueblood70]

Pollard - juice is gone. No way he gets caught on that catch in run a year ago. No way

Lewis - can’t keep up with even the slowest receivers in the league. Should be on the bench but for Diggs injury. Izzy should be playing ahead of him.

Gallup - still not back to what he was.

Steele - it’s either a confidence issue or lack of strength in that knee but he has been awful.

But for Steele, all of these guys better be gone next year.

i've been telling you guys this offseason about tony pollard , he was like that before the injury that put him out in the 49ers game... it's literally the change in load and carries that is causing him to slow down... he's now having to stay in the block, be a decoy of fake runs, run routes as non-option ie decoy and lots of extra plays between the tackles... last five games last year 3.8 yards 51 yards per game no tds,no explosive plays before that injury... it is literally his extra workload that has taken away what tony pollard does best..

and i truly don't understand why the coaches are putting this load on TP when we have other guys you can use for the dirty work. you want old tony back reduce his workload.... can we call him fat slow and lazy?? can we call him washed?? we did with zeke and zeke had four times career carries in the NFL and college. see that big run with new England?? tony misses Zeke that's for sure..

 

[DogFace]

Had Pollard veered to his left he scores easily. Lack of awareness and overestimating his speed.

Also, Gallup could’ve made a better effort to block him. All he needed was to get in his way some. Poor awareness and bad effort. Gallup is not plying well at all.

 

[TNCowboy]

Pollard - juice is gone. No way he gets caught on that catch in run a year ago. No way

Lewis - can’t keep up with even the slowest receivers in the league. Should be on the bench but for Diggs injury. Izzy should be playing ahead of him.

Gallup - still not back to what he was.

Steele - it’s either a confidence issue or lack of strength in that knee but he has been awful.

But for Steele, all of these guys better be gone next year.

Fact is, Steele's pass blocking has always been poor. Now his run blocking is suspect along with it.

Will go down as one of the dumbest, costliest, unforced errors in Cowboy history.

 

[OmerV]

Prime Zeke did had more burst than Pollard. Did you forget 2016?

In 2016 Zeke had a better year than any Pollard has had, but that doesn't mean he had more "burst" than Pollard. Burst isn't the only factor that decides how successful a RB is. Zeke was a great mix of speed and power, and the O-Line was at a peak as well.