Twitter: Skip Peete gives the professional answer

[SteveTheCowboy]

Ok the TV screen lies when he takes himself out

Not after one run or play.

For the longest time....km made manage his playing time. No planned, sneaky subbing. This year has been better...hiw many tines THIS season....have you seen zeke raise his hand?
back at ya.

 

[Captain43Crash]

I also know what Pete said to be true about defenders not know how to handle the two. Barry Church said this on his show. How it's stressful tackling a power back like Zeke, then having to change up and tackle a slasher. Said he much rather tackling the slasher

If you can touch the slasher. Pollard makes guys completely whiff.

 

[RonnieT24]

Not after one run or play.

For the longest time....km made manage his playing time. No planned, sneaky subbing. This year has been better...hiw many tines THIS season....have you seen zeke raise his hand?
back at ya.

The whole Zeke takes himself out thing is perception. When he gets rolling he doesn't tap out he gets up and does the "Feed me" which the haters hate so much. So is he doing the "Feed me" THEN checking out of the game after a big run? His dad was on one of the Cowboys podcasts last week and he revealed that most of the time when Zeke taps his helmet it's to signal to his teammates that he can feel the DEFENDERS starting to tap out. As in they aint as anxious to tackle him as they were to start the game..

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

So how many carries each? When in the game?

Cherry picking at it's finest.

If Tony does it on a handful of carries....zeke does it all game long...might make a difference.

Instead of cheap immature insults...I'll leave you with this:

https://insight-quality.com/aql-general-inspection-levels/

I’m not sure what your training manual from your shipping and receiving job has to do with anything? Your feelings are hurt by the data, but the data doesn’t care about your feelings.

 

[Kevinicus]

It's funny how people seem to think Sunday was some huge deviation for Pollard's playtime and that it had a big impact on the game.

Fact: Tony had 15 touches on Sunday. His average the other 7 games? Eleven.

So, you're talking about 4 more touches than average.

He also had 4 other games of 13 or 14 touches, so only 1 or 2 more touches than those games.

So, try not to get carried away and realize that Sunday was just the offense executing in all areas (blocking, passing, receiving, game design and playcalling).
And another big one - only one offensive penalty (5 yards on a first down on the opening drive). So, no drive killers.
It also may just be a day the Bears defense did not show up (they were terrible in run defense thus far this season anyway - and haven't looked too good against good teams).

Pollard is good, and he has an important role.
But don't kid yourself into thinking 2 or 3 extra touches just completely changed the offense...or that the offense will put up 40+ from here on out. It's just one game.

 

[RonWashington]

My mom had a 1980 Gremlin, with no power steering. Talk about an arm workout. Lol

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

LOL, first car I leant to drive on, once got my DL my mom would let me take it out and my cousin and I would go over NC A&T University Women’s Dorm and walked the halls like we were in college and we were Sophomores in HS.

 

[Dre11]

I hear what they are saying, but you can not just throw out the facts. Pollard has been more productive than Zeke and it’s not even close. Yes keep both, but the more productive back gets the most carries.

Yes he has had the most explosive plays. But he does it in limited usage, don't you think if you start giving him the lion's share over a longer period of time with him taking hits, those explosive plays become less and less, he told the coach he was done last week

 

[Dre11]

I don't believe this for a second.

I can believe Pollard asked for a breather in a 20-point game in the 4th quarter. But done after 30 plays? That's all he can do? The propaganda is strong with this one.

Do you think his coach would say that in QUOTES of it didn't happen...lol

 

[Dre11]

If you can touch the slasher. Pollard makes guys completely whiff.

No he gets hit, and the more he's in the more of a toll it takes on his body.

 

[RonnieT24]

Do you think his coach would say that in QUOTES of it didn't happen...lol

Of course he would.. Jerry ran down from the owner's box and ordered Peete to make sure he hyped up Zeke and downplayed Pollard.. Probably offered him a bonus for saying it.. Yeah.. that's the ticket..

 

[stinkface]

The only problem with Zeke is he has no quickness nor speed. He has not lost a bit of power, but don't expect him to break runs like he did his first two years. That Zeke is gone forever. I doubt if he could run a 4.6 40 now. There is no 3rd gear.

 

[RonnieT24]

The only problem with Zeke is he has no quickness nor speed. He has not lost a bit of power, but don't expect him to break runs like he did his first two years. That Zeke is gone forever. I doubt if he could run a 4.6 40 now. There is no 3rd gear.

I still wonder if the quickness or speed loss has been by choice. By that I mean he has talked for the last three years about getting more patient and allowing the blocking to develop. I still think if you line him up in the I and let him hit it downhill you get 100 yards a game out of him against just about any defense. But it's normal and natural as we age that the feedback from our body to our mind starts to fool us. As a runner you have to keep teaching yourself that your mind is lying to you when it tells you that you're going full speed. I speak from personal experience because I was a competitive sprinter into my mid 30's. Not world class or anything like that.. but I was fast.. mind 10's in the 100 meters fast, but by the time I realized that I COULD possible get to world class I was too old and my body would not stand up to the training it would take to get there.

Anyway, I think Zeke may be going through something like that.. I think he sees an opening and hits the accelerator.. and his mind says "okay you're there..." Only he isn't. He needs to hit the accelerator a little harder than he has in the past. The fact that he hit over 22 mph on the GPS during OTAs tells me that the speed is still there in his body.. but he has to train his mind to get it out. It's something every fast person goes through.. but I am living proof it can be done. I ran faster 100 meters in my 30s than I did in my teens and 20's. But my body never went through the beating that Zeke's body has absorbed. I don't know what he has left.. but he's still a good all around football player who would always have a place on my team.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

Do you think his coach would say that in QUOTES of it didn't happen...lol

I think Skip would say whatever he thinks the owner wants to hear. I also think it's possible Pollard said it jokingly in a blowout win after busting off a huge run. There is context missing that is needed here.

 

[Dre11]

I think Skip would say whatever he thinks the owner wants to hear. I also think it's possible Pollard said it jokingly in a blowout win after busting off a huge run. There is context missing that is needed here.

Lol...still peddling that conspiracy theory, Jerry done sent out the mandate. Even on the sounds from the sidelines Pollard talked about being tired, he also said it in his interview.
I guess Jerry got to him too.

 

[CATCH17]

Of course. I think anyone who has ever played football understands the importance of Zekes roll on this team. I remember when I was playing I always played defensive end and in practices when the coach would put our smaller faster players back there you never minded a run coming to your side, opposed to when the kid who just wanted to smash his helmet right into your face mask that outweighed most of the team was coming at you.

Zeke is not fun to tackle. I can promise every single person here that...especially to the Linebackers and DBs. Pollard is the perfect compliment to him.

Problem is Zeke should be the change of pace back not Pollard. Pollard is a better runningback.

 

[CATCH17]

Pollard told you himself in that article "Coach I'm done.. I got nothin left.. " That was after 30 snaps.. THIRTY.. The offense is generally on the field for between 60 and 70 snaps.. Who's going to man the backfield those other 30-40 snaps? Can you imagine how Pollard would have felt after another 10-12 carries? And there will be games where the lead back will be asked to do just that.. as well as blitz pickup another 10-12 times. The Zeke hate is simply not rational. If his body is letting him down from carrying the load then so be it.. Cowboys fans should thank him.. not cheer for him to be ushered out the exit before the plane even gets to the gate.

The Zeke hate stems from him being on the field more than our best runner.

The Cowboys need to do what they did Sunday and give Zeke the Maliek Davis role.

 

[CATCH17]

Play Pollard as the lead back and he won’t finish the season

Pollard is good but he can’t carry the load

Zeke doesn’t carry the load anymore and he’s hurt…

Our best runner is Pollard and he needs more touches and Zeke needs less because he just isn’t as good.

 

[RonnieT24]

The Zeke hate stems from him being on the field more than our best runner.

The Cowboys need to do what they did Sunday and give Zeke the Maliek Davis role.

Say for the sake of argument they do just that.. What happens when Zeke comes in fresh against a defense that has had a little starch taken out of it by the starter and starts ripping off 20 yarders left and right? Do we start this dance all over again?

 

[Jarv]

I still wonder if the quickness or speed loss has been by choice. By that I mean he has talked for the last three years about getting more patient and allowing the blocking to develop. I still think if you line him up in the I and let him hit it downhill you get 100 yards a game out of him against just about any defense. But it's normal and natural as we age that the feedback from our body to our mind starts to fool us. As a runner you have to keep teaching yourself that your mind is lying to you when it tells you that you're going full speed. I speak from personal experience because I was a competitive sprinter into my mid 30's. Not world class or anything like that.. but I was fast.. mind 10's in the 100 meters fast, but by the time I realized that I COULD possible get to world class I was too old and my body would not stand up to the training it would take to get there.

Anyway, I think Zeke may be going through something like that.. I think he sees an opening and hits the accelerator.. and his mind says "okay you're there..." Only he isn't. He needs to hit the accelerator a little harder than he has in the past. The fact that he hit over 22 mph on the GPS during OTAs tells me that the speed is still there in his body.. but he has to train his mind to get it out. It's something every fast person goes through.. but I am living proof it can be done. I ran faster 100 meters in my 30s than I did in my teens and 20's. But my body never went through the beating that Zeke's body has absorbed. I don't know what he has left.. but he's still a good all around football player who would always have a place on my team.

Interesting post and thanks.

I remember reading about Zeke prior to the draft, I believe he had the 1st or 2nd fastest 0-10 yard split (Henry and him were 1 and 2), I'm not a runner but I thought that was impressive. Acceleration as you put it.

That was why many saw him and compared to to L. Bell at the time, because that was his style to...Wait for the blocks to form then burst through. So now he has lost his burst but as you mentioned, still has that top end. Maybe he needs a few more sweeps and such to get him a chance to build up his speed. It seems like I've seen some runs where if he makes the corner, he's been more effective vs Moore pounding him up the middle all of the time.

Maybe some specific training or weight loss can get some of his burst back?