Should Dowdle be the starter?

[Silverz1972]

You can see that dowdle is running harder. Pollard is running scared like he is trying to keep from getting injured Doesn’t hit the holes hard.

Can you trust dowdle to stay healthy all year? Probably not. But you get the most out of him while you can. Dowdle is running like pacheco with the chief. Pollard is running like clyde Edwards.

 

[G2]

This team failed in the RB department, in my opinion. Teams that stockpile RBs seem to do better in the postseason. (See Philly & SF).
Pollard is slower, not breaking away in space, not breaking tackles and looks to have lost a step in general. He was set up in a dozen pass plays, but isn't making plays.

Waste of a tag. And now that Dowdle is FINALLY healthy, he's playing well. Pollard has become irrelevant.

 

[VaqueroTD]

No one noticed the trend yet? The Cowboys don’t do well with former 2nd string RBs as full time starters. It started with Troy Hambrick, then Marion Barber, then Joseph Randle and now we have Tony Pollard. Just draft a new starting RB. We fare better that way.

Do what Parcells did with Julius Jones. Run 'em ragged their first few starts. Show me now you can take it. LOL

 

[RonnieT24]

Do what Parcells did with Julius Jones. Run 'em ragged their first few starts. Show me now you can take it. LOL

Man don't remind me of what Bill did to Julius. Julius was on his way to a great career before Bill constantly pounding on him about how much tougher Marion Barber ran and how Julius needed to change his running style to be more like Barber and to play hurt. Julius did all that and it cut his career short. He was not nearly as powerful as Barber but was light years quicker, faster and more creative and instinctive as a runner. Try to "run tough between the tackles" got him beat up and out of the league post haste. The same thing happened to Felix Jones and I fear the same thing will happen with Pollard. Some guys are just not built for the meat grinder up the middle. You'd think this franchise would learn at some point.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Man don't remind me of what Bill did to Julius. Julius was on his way to a great career before Bill constantly pounding on him about how much tougher Marion Barber ran and how Julius needed to change his running style to be more like Barber and to play hurt. Julius did all that and it cut his career short. He was not nearly as powerful as Barber but was light years quicker, faster and more creative and instinctive as a runner. Try to "run tough between the tackles" got him beat up and out of the league post haste. The same thing happened to Felix Jones and I fear the same thing will happen with Pollard. Some guys are just not built for the meat grinder up the middle. You'd think this franchise would learn at some point.

They will ruin him if injury hasn’t already done it. Answer is staring them in the face. Try your big FB more on the short yardage because he can take the pounding, try your backup RB more between tackles because he seems to have more success, get Pollard back to the sweet spot on carries and hope his body does the rest, which it may never do again. Was watching a run play last week that made me think back to last year and how quick he was before the injury. Just doesn’t look the same anymore. Last year, every week on Sounds From Sidelines there was a clip from the bench of the players impressed by his speed. That playmaker this year is CeeDee Lamb, and sometimes Ferguson or Turpin. Right side of the line having issues this year but there’s enough blocking going in to do better than 3 yards/carry. Line always gets blamed when things go south.

 

[J-man]

No, but he should get more touches. As I have been saying for like 2 years, Tony isn't a bell-cow RB. He isn't built for that kind of role. He works best as the change of pace back. He is the lightning, we need the thunder. Can Rico be that guy? I have my doubts, but I like that they are at least trying to use him like that. It means they recognize the issue too.

 

[RonnieT24]

They will ruin him if injury hasn’t already done it. Answer is staring them in the face. Try your big FB more on the short yardage because he can take the pounding, try your backup RB more between tackles because he seems to have more success, get Pollard back to the sweet spot on carries and hope his body does the rest, which it may never do again. Was watching a run play last week that made me think back to last year and how quick he was before the injury. Just doesn’t look the same anymore. Last year, every week on Sounds From Sidelines there was a clip from the bench of the players impressed by his speed. That playmaker this year is CeeDee Lamb, and sometimes Ferguson or Turpin. Right side of the line having issues this year but there’s enough blocking going in to do better than 3 yards/carry. Line always gets blamed when things go south.

Yeah this team needed to do more to keep the Thunder and Lightning aspect of previous years intact. Even if they felt the need to move on from Zeke they should have recognized the type of back Pollard is and done something to replace the thumper that Zeke was so they could continue to take advantage of what made Pollard deadly. The shortsightedness of it all is very frustrating because we all could see this coming a mile away. If we can then why can't people who make 7 figures a year TO see it?

 

[LACowboysFan1]

It…was…the…Giants. It wasn’t because the blocking was there, it was because we were having so much success in the passing game that the Giants defense had to focus on that, leaving big holes for the RBs to run through. Pollard can’t break an arm tackle and Dowdle looked like an All-Pro. None of that will fly against the 49ers.

Take Dak’s runs out and we racked up a whopping 59 yards running against the Eagles. If we had a power back, maybe we win that game and don’t get stoned on the goal line against the Giants.

The blocking was there because, as you said, it was the Giants.

You apparently saw a different game than I did....

 

[starfan1]

Man don't remind me of what Bill did to Julius. Julius was on his way to a great career before Bill constantly pounding on him about how much tougher Marion Barber ran and how Julius needed to change his running style to be more like Barber and to play hurt. Julius did all that and it cut his career short. He was not nearly as powerful as Barber but was light years quicker, faster and more creative and instinctive as a runner. Try to "run tough between the tackles" got him beat up and out of the league post haste. The same thing happened to Felix Jones and I fear the same thing will happen with Pollard. Some guys are just not built for the meat grinder up the middle. You'd think this franchise would learn at some point.

That playoff game against Seattle I think it was Julius ran like a man possessed

 

[RonnieT24]

That playoff game against Seattle I think it was Julius ran like a man possessed

Yeah I remember that. I also remember one of his first games back his rookie season he also lit up Seattle for damn near 200 and 3 TDs. Dude really liked playing against Seattle. I hate that Parcells coached the creativeness out of him as a runner. His vision and cutting ability made him extremely dangerous and effective. But Parcells wanted him to always just run the play where it was designed to go. Problem is sometimes the hole opens up somewhere else. But big ole fat former lineman coaches can't see that.

 

[links18]

Yeah I remember that. I also remember one of his first games back his rookie season he also lit up Seattle for damn near 200 and 3 TDs. Dude really liked playing against Seattle. I hate that Parcells coached the creativeness out of him as a runner. His vision and cutting ability made him extremely dangerous and effective. But Parcells wanted him to always just run the play where it was designed to go. Problem is sometimes the hole opens up somewhere else. But big ole fat former lineman coaches can't see that.

I remember when they called Julius "pile magnet" on this board. They are gonna bring that one back out for Pollard soon.

 

[Jumbo075]

It really depends on his pass protection ability, not just his running ability. But Dowdle doesn’t need to be the starter to give him a lot more touches. There is no good reason not to increase his load, just like they increased the load of Pollard when Zeke was the starter.

 

[Buzzbait]

Dowdle shows more pop than Pollard when running between the tackles. I don't care who the starter is, I would just like to see Dowdle get more carries.

I agree nightrain. I'd be more for giving Dowdle more of the between tackle calls and use Pollard more like they did last year on those pitchouts and screens. Course you still have to mix the calls up so the defense doesn't know for sure what the call is. They had to know what Zeke was gonna do cause it was always the same.......straight up the gut. 2 yards and a cloud of dust.
Either way, give Dowdle a few more carries.

 

[stilltheguru]

This team failed in the RB department, in my opinion. Teams that stockpile RBs seem to do better in the postseason. (See Philly & SF).
Pollard is slower, not breaking away in space, not breaking tackles and looks to have lost a step in general. He was set up in a dozen pass plays, but isn't making plays.

Waste of a tag. And now that Dowdle is FINALLY healthy, he's playing well. Pollard has become irrelevant.

Philly doesn't win because of their running backs lol. And McCaffrey is good because of his versatility. Nobody cares about Elijah mitchell. Funny post

 

[Buzzbait]

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.

I wish they'd give Luepke a chance to prove what he can do, and he has the size for it. Give the guy a shot at it for Pete's sake. We had the perfect opportunity in the 4th qtr of that Giants game to take a look at a couple rooks or so but they wouldn't do it!

 

[CT Dal Fan]

One thing Dowdle is doing is proving that good running backs are a dime a dozen. You can get productive ones anywhere. Which is why I think this is Pollard's last season in Dallas.

I can only pray they learned their lesson about overpaying at the position.

 

[kskboys]

One thing Dowdle is doing is proving that good running backs are a dime a dozen. You can get productive ones anywhere. Which is why I think this is Pollard's last season in Dallas.

I can only pray they learned their lesson about overpaying at the position.

He's really not.

 

[RonnieT24]

He's really not.

Yeah this one good game equals a potential 1500 yard rusher mentality is most puzzling.

 

[kskboys]

Yeah this one good game equals a potential 1500 yard rusher mentality is most puzzling.

I'm completely bamfoozled at how so many posters show a complete inability to evaluate the RB position and what makes them successful. Instead, they simply reiterate the BSPN mantra of "It's soooooooooooooooo easy to find RB's". I really don't think they even understand what they are saying or why. They simply rinse wash repeat.

 

[RonnieT24]

I'm completely bamfoozled at how so many posters show a complete inability to evaluate the RB position and what makes them successful. Instead, they simply reiterate the BSPN mantra of "It's soooooooooooooooo easy to find RB's". I really don't think they even understand what they are saying or why. They simply rinse wash repeat.

Well try as we might it's not something you or I can change, my friend. People are dug in on their narratives and even when presented with evidence to the contrary they will squint and still manage to see what they want to see. It's a weird way to go through life.. Glad I don't suffer from it.. Since.. you know.. I'm always right!