Should Dowdle be the starter?

[DuncanIso]

Doesn't matter who the starter is. Zeke, Pollard, Dowdle or somebody else.

If the blocking isn't there no back is going to get great yardage/tds. Just look at Emmitt's stats - 4 years with ypc of 4.3 or better from 1990-1995, after 1995 when guys like Stepnoski and other members of the Great Wall left, and after Erik Williams got hurt in the car accident, Emmitt never got above 4.2 ypc.

If the current lineup on the o-line can stay together, then the blocking should improve a bit.

We'll see...

Blaming the OL won’t fix our RBs.

 

[Risen Star]

Rico Dowdle is a roster filler.

 

[Risen Star]

Deuce should start. Quit acting like it's a rollercoaster ride. He should be allowed to participate.

 

[kskboys]

Saaaaaame. I'll give Schoon a slight break since he missed camp, but I really don't like a 2nd rd pick being a 3rd stringer. There were guys on the board that could start.

And Mazi is study in confusion. He appears to be freakishly athletic for his size, but then doesn't show it. At this point, I truly don't know what to think of him.

 

[Cebrin]

And Mazi is study in confusion. He appears to be freakishly athletic for his size, but then doesn't show it. At this point, I truly don't know what to think of him.

DT's take a while to develop, and they seem to have him at 3 Tech a lot which is strange, but given the veteran in front of him it makes sense. I doubt he'll stay at the 3. We shall see.

 

[LovinItAll]

Dowdle runs with more power but he’s not a game changer. No one fears him. He hasn’t had a run over 10 yards. Pollard is a big play threat.

Pollard is a big play threat? Maybe when he was playing second fiddle to Zeke, but not as our primary back. Turpin has the longest rush this year at 46, with Pollard’s longest rush being 31 yards, putting him in a tie with Baker Mayfield in ~32 spot. His next longest rush is <16 yards. Watching the first half of the Giants game, Dowdle sure looks like he runs harder than Pollard, but neither one is an RB1.

 

[KJJ]

Pollard is a big play threat? Maybe when he was playing second fiddle to Zeke, but not as our primary back. Turpin has the longest rush this year at 46, with Pollard’s longest rush being 31 yards, putting him in a tie with Baker Mayfield in ~32 spot. His next longest rush is <16 yards. Watching the first half of the Giants game, Dowdle sure looks like he runs harder than Pollard, but neither one is an RB1.

Pollard is still a big play threat.

 

[LovinItAll]

Why do yall still get caught up into who starts? The running backs share snaps. Dowdle needs more carries. Pollard Needs more carries. Luepke needs more carries. See how easy it is. Neither RB is getting enough opportunities, then add in that the bulk of Pollard's opportunities are coming between the tackles when he's better on the edges we should be asking why the runners aren't being used correctly.

Pollard had gotten plenty of carries, enough to know he can’t shoulder the load by himself. I’d argue he needs fewer carries to look anything like he looked when he ran behind Zeke.

 

[Bigrandrn]

Why not? Pollard seems better as a change of pace back, Rico runs hard as hell every game…..start him, let pollard be change of pace and see if it’s better than the mediocre running game he have had so far this year.

 

[LovinItAll]

Pollard - AGAINST THE GIANTS - 15 for 55 yards. Dowdle 12 for 79.

Doesn’t answer the question about Dowdle moving up the depth chart, but definitely answers the question, ‘Is Pollard an RB1?’

 

[KMY_Amber]

No

 

[doomsday808]

split equal time then play the hot hand.

 

[SDCowboy]

I'm starting to say yes

 

[sacase]

I think Pollard should go back to his roll, let's Dowdle get the start and hard yards. Hes much more of a violent runner. Let Pollard finesse things after Dowdle beats them up.

 

[cwbyfan72]

Anyone who just watched this game knows Rico has the in between tackle ability that Pollard does not. But I don’t care how they split reps, just make sure Rico gets his.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Dowdle just runs harder and is hungrier. Hard for Pollard to maintain the same level of intensity he had in his younger years and after the injury

 

[Bigrandrn]

Dowdle just runs harder and is hungrier. Hard for Pollard to maintain the same level of intensity he had in his younger years and after the injury

It’s so obvious….Rico runs HARD in between the tackles and pushes things more than Pollard, every game it’s something that does stand out a little.

 

[Hardline]

This is why I was hoping for a miracle in last years draft and Bijan Robinson would fall to us. I already have my eye on some college RBs I hope to be a Cowboy next year. RBs are still very relevant in today's game. This is not a passing league.

 

[KMY_Amber]

This is why I was hoping for a miracle in last years draft and Bijan Robinson would fall to us. I already have my eye on some college RBs I hope to be a Cowboy next year. RBs are still very relevant in today's game. This is not a passing league.

Of course it is. They've set up the NFL over the last 15 years to be a passing league.

And the Cowboys, as constructed today, and with this o-line, it's a passing team...which also plays to McCarthy's strengths (and he's our OC). So this is a passing league, and the current Cowboys are a passing team.

They should still sprinkle in some early runs, but rarely on 1st down. And they should still do a lot of play action, especially early in the game...because teams still respect the Cowboys running game.

But the Cowboys should pass to set up the run, because that's the offense's strength. When's the last time the Cowboys offense started a game and dominated on the ground to get a lead? It's been a while, and it's been rare. Most, if not all this season, of the Cowboys' offense's early success has been through the air. McCarthy is finally starting to figure this out, thank goodness.

To start the game, they should do what they do best, and exploit the matchups presented by the other team. Score early, then run the ball with liberal use of play action.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Blaming the OL won’t fix our RBs.

27 carries, 134 yards, 4.9 ypc and a touchdown in this game.

Because the blocking was there, the running backs didn't suddenly get 2/10 of a second faster 40 times or gain 20 lbs. each.

The backs aren't top of the league, but they're plenty good enough....