Should Dowdle be the starter?

[big dog cowboy]

He wasn’t the lead back last season, he only started 4 games. Zeke had almost double the carries Pollard had.

I said he looked good as the lead back NOT that he was the lead back.

When the FO finally decided to move Zeke to lesser role and Pollard started getting more carries (a decision that took too long to make) he looked pretty good.

 

[Jake]

The Cowboys have an offensive line problem, not a running back problem.

They also won't make a guy they are paying $10 million this year the back up. That's not how it works.

 

[KJJ]

I said he looked good as the lead back NOT that he was the lead back.

When the FO finally decided to move Zeke to lesser role and Pollard started getting more carries (a decision that took too long to make) he looked pretty good.

Gotcha, misunderstood you. He’s getting too many carries now and was much better in the role he had. He became a fan favorite in that role. He’s not a fan favorite in his current role.

 

[Teague31]

Yep. Giving Pollard that much money was stupid. He can’t carry a full load. Let Dowdle do the Zeke work and let Pollard slot back into his old job.

 

[Adiba1977]

Yep. Giving Pollard that much money was stupid. He can’t carry a full load. Let Dowdle do the Zeke work and let Pollard slot back into his old job.

Coach already said he’s “happy” with way it is and dowdle only getting 2-3 carries a game!!!! So dumb - idiotic. Needs to be 60/40 split at least.

 

[glimmerman]

He needs his carrys early. Him and Luepke could power run up the middle and try to wear them down. Then let Pollard do his thing. But JJ won’t do that, he is paying Pollard so he wants him on the field.

 

[Kellsbells]

Funny how everyone was in love with TP last year and we’re calling for him to start over Zeke.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

pollard needs to step it up.

no. wouldn't make a difference. fix the OL issues and it all falls in place. right now OL play is really bad

 

[G2]

Lets see, get rid of the actual lead back, do nothing in the draft or offseason to solidify the roster and simply rely on change of pace RBs?

What did everyone think would happen? Waste of a tag.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

Funny how everyone was in love with TP last year and we’re calling for him to start over Zeke.

Yes, now the rooster has come home to roost.

 

[kskboys]

No but he needs to get more touches. It is simply insane that Zeke got spelled every 3rd series by Pollard but we think that Pollard can be a workhorse back when he has never been on any level.

We need more of a committee approach. It is the problem with the run game.

Polly needs to get more touches? That is absolutely insane.

 

[kskboys]

Yet a HUGE percentage of this board was calling for Pollard to be RB1 last year. I’m not even sure I’d call him a 3rd down back. Certainly not 3rd and 3 when younger Zeke would just punish people, especially late in the second half.

Marshawn Lynch once said something like, ‘You just have to keep running through a ***** face. Most guys just can’t take that’. Pollard isn’t ever going to run through anyone’s face and scare them.

Not sure it was a huge percentage. The Polly fans/Zeke haters were so loud and obnoxious it may have made it appear to be more fans.

 

[kskboys]

There’s no stepping it up for Pollard. It isn’t his fault, he’s just not that guy. Anyone that was paying attention when Zeke was on the team saw Pollard getting all his carries behind Martin and Co when every defensive run stopper had to concentrate on Zeke first, even as his production fell off. He’s simply not big enough to run between the tackles consistently and produce like we need him to. It isn’t that he’s playing poorly, he’s just playing the wrong roll. It befuddles me that anyone is confused about this. Forget about lineman and LBs, CBs and safeties stone him in his tracks. Pollard scares exactly nobody.

I like Pollard, but not in his current capacity. Not sure about Dowdle…just haven’t seen enough of him.

Very nice synopsis.

I think more people were saying that than you think. It was just the LOB crowd(Loud Obnoxious Bully) that were insisting Polly could be the starter.

 

[blueblood70]

No not the starter but I'd like to see him get more of the carries that are considered obvious run plays on first down goal line short yardage let the guy get warmed up get in the game get some snaps not just be brought in every now and again I think they need to take some of Tony pollard's carries away to help him out well he'll have more bursts later in the game

 

[kskboys]

The Cowboys have an offensive line problem, not a running back problem.

They also won't make a guy they are paying $10 million this year the back up. That's not how it works.

It's both.

 

[kskboys]

No not the starter but I'd like to see him get more of the carries that are considered obvious run plays on first down goal line short yardage let the guy get warmed up get in the game get some snaps not just be brought in every now and again I think they need to take some of Tony pollard's carries away to help him out well he'll have more bursts later in the game

Pollard has shown very little burst this year. Coupla possible reasons. He's most likely still recovering from injury and may get the burst back. AND, most of his carries are going between the tackles where he never was all that good.

Polly is a space back. Before this year we were always getting him out in space. Now, we're not.

 

[blueblood70]

I said he looked good as the lead back NOT that he was the lead back.

When the FO finally decided to move Zeke to lesser role and Pollard started getting more carries (a decision that took too long to make) he looked pretty good.

Not true all that extra carries in what you consider getting more of the splits and a bigger role started last year this issue last five games of last year were 3.8 yards per carry 51 yards per game no touchdowns no explosive plays and two injuries.. So this year's not new the more they put the load on him last year the less he delivered Tony Pollard type plays and everyone kept saying well no but when Tony Pollard got down inside the five it wasn't fair that zeke got all those touchdowns

where's all these Tony Pollard touchdowns he can't do what zeke did in those situations and the more you gave him a bigger role the more Tony Pollard started dropping off his started last year last five games so far this year looks much of the same he is not that guy and it probably was in hindsight a mistake to give him $10 million instead of say offering say two years$12 million and then also brought in a lead back of some kind of veteran or brought back zeke at a lower rate something because Tony Pollard is not getting it done for $10 million and now he's getting the zeke treatment... It's not easy being on the field that much blocking going out for passes being a decoy and running the football in between the tackles so much it isn't just the carries he's got the full load people didn't know The Dirty work zeke was actually doing..

 

[CowboysRule]

The issue with Pollard is he is a speed back who does well in space yet for some reason they just want to run him directly into the middle of the line on every freaking run play.

 

[Bing]

Pollard or Dowdle it makes no difference to me. Neither back should be the starter and neither back will be on the team come next season

 

[kskboys]

The issue with Pollard is he is a speed back who does well in space yet for some reason they just want to run him directly into the middle of the line on every freaking run play.

Obvious. We went into the season needing an inside runner. We are so bad at personnel evaluation that we thought Polly was that guy. Now, we have no one who can do that.(Maybe Hunter). So, we're left w/ using an outside runner on the inside because we have no one else.

Philly did the opposite w/ Murray when they signed him to that big contract. Murray was an inside runner and they ran him outside. How do NFL people get so stupid?