The case for Pollard

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Proven wrong about what? lol

I never said Pollard is better either.

I said he needs to cut into Zeke's carries because Zeke aint the player he was.

Then some of you want to argue about Zeke and where he ranks in yards and i'm telling you he has a lot of yards because he has a lot of carries and you just can't comprehend it haha.

your quote:

"while Zeke may be the more skilled player Pollard would produce at a similar level if given the same work load.

He would probably provide more big plays but would hurt us on short runs which is a trade off that I wouldn't mind anyways."
the first sentence is an assumption on your part. nothing has been shown to make that anywhere close to reality....
the second sentence speaks to your fantasy football mentality....facts are in football, you need the short yards, moving the chains, producing consistently, else you will be in a lot of 3rd and long situations.

the other fact if you cared to research is that given opportunities during non-garbage time, pollards production hasn't been that good. you are basing your entire argument on this one Rams game, which is an exception not a consistent reality.

 

[JohnsKey19]

The better OCs in the league would have gotten this kid consistently involved from game 1. I watched the Eagles in one game alone scheme their RBs in space 1-on-1 vs a LB more than we've done with this kid all season. You can easily involve Pollard without affecting Zeke's 20-25 touches.

 

[Number1]

This isn't an open competition between these two. They are teammates and they support each other ... They are complementary performers on this offense so why not accept this for what it is?

agreed

Tony fills a key role in this system - what Sid Gillam (who invent the timing system) called a flanker, the sort of thing Dan Reeves and Preston Pearson did for Landry. A Reggie Bush type.

take another look at 25y stretch right in the 2nd quarter
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...Tony-Pollard-breaks-free-for-a-33-yard-pickup

and the 44y stretch left TD late
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...ollard-eclipses-100-yard-mark-with-44-yard-TD

that's what Murray and McFadden brought - monster acceleration through the hole, a real one cut back, but harder to get on the ground in the open field.

Pollard's balance and strength at the point of contact are exceptional - he breaks many tackles
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...Tony-Pollard-breaks-free-for-a-33-yard-pickup

hard to picture a better all around fit for the roll - far better at it than Dunbar or Austin
it's stunning they haven't gotten him 20+ snaps (w/o Zeke on the field) and 10+ touches a game.

I have no idea if he can carry the load of a starting NFL RB - hope we don't find out any time soon
but he is 6"0" 210 and looks the part - glad he's here

 

[StuckMojo]

When did being a workhorse become a negative? I agree that Zeke isn't having his best year, but he is still having a strong year, and he is having to do it with defenses focusing hard on stopping him. Some games they have. That doesn't mean he's just some ordinary joe.

This team needs a workhorse to keep click moving and shorten the game for the Defense. But we need to be creative and smart with our run/pass options to not be so predictable and finish long drives with TDs instead of FGs. I feel we abandoned the run game way too soon in several games.

 

[aria]

The eye test is what i based my comment on the line rankings on. I have seen our line struggle against a team while other teams open nice running lanes against them. For most of the year, i just haven't seen our guys consistently get push. At least not against the better defenses.

There is subjectivity to all viewpoints. There could certainly come a time where the investments we have made in linemen & Zeke could look bad if the productivity falls off. If last game (or 2016 form) continues, then it will look like wise investments.

So what’s your point?

 

[zeke21]

I think Pollard is a great back and should be getting more carries than he has been. The game against the Rams was a great example of how he and Zeke can work together to make our offence potent. Zeke is not the explosive speed runner that will get on the outside.. he is a big back that can hit the middle time and time again and pick up 3-4 yards a carry. When the Oline starts to get on top then Zeke starts to push that out to 8-12 yard carries. Pollard is the guy that can put a burst of speed and get a big gainer.. but if you tried to use him to pound the line he would be injured a lot and not make the chains move.

If we commit to using both of them in tandem and only using Dak when the conditions are right.. then we will do a much better job.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

I love Houston.... let me say it again...I love houston….so do 7 million other people...including former presidents Bush and Bush....you laughing because you want to personally attack me, you have failed miserably yet again...flat out looking like the village idiot that you are...

and you know you are in prison...you have revealed as much clues in your posts.... how else can you afford internet....truth

“I love Houston!” = “I love living in an armpit of a city with a permanently sunken housing market, awful schools systems, et cetera!”

So do the 7 million other people there wishing they had an opportunity to leave, lool.

 

[Colombiacowboy]

Let’s take away all of Pollard’s big runs (25, 33, 44) and that leaves him with 9 carries for 29 yards (3.2 ypc).

Take away Zeke’s 3 biggest runs to be fair (15, 12, 10) and that leaves him with 21 carries for 80 yards (3.8 ypc).


Take away the big runs and neither RB looks impressive. I thought our offensive line was blowing open holes all day.

Zeke rested most of the 4th quarter too, so that changes the "stats".

 

[INCowboysFan]

seems you guys are going only by his limited amount of carries, whereas i'm talking about him being physically equipped on a physical sense to be able to handle such a task.

I guess the coaches at Memphis didn't see what you do either since he wasn't the starter there and only had 104 career carries for the Tigers and couldn't beat out a guy that is currently 3rd in rushing for the Rams. He's not going to be taking Zeke's carries away anytime soon. And if that were to happen, we'd be in a world of hurt.

 

[BourbonBalz]

From the start, I've liked this kid. Yesterday was the icing on the cake for me.

Pollard:
12 rushes for 131 yards

Elliot:
24 rushes for 117 yards

To me, the kid is just better than Elliot. Don't get me wrong. I think Elliot is a good back (not work the big contract though). But I think Pollard gives the dynamic of the "break-away" run as evident in his TD run yesterday. If that was Elliot, he goes down or is caught from behind.

Damn good thing you aren’t a coach. Dumb take.

 

[BourbonBalz]

I guess a few are too stupid to realize Zeke softened up the defense and that the Rams had thrown in the towel when Pollard had quite a bit of his yardage. I really like Pollard, but to suggest he’s better than Elliott is beyond stupid.

 

[BourbonBalz]

And when he gets stopped because he’s too slow or can’t make defenders miss then what?

So, a back that has two rushing titles in three seasons (would’ve been 3 for 3 if not for the bogus suspension) is too slow and can’t get the job done? LOL. Stick to badminton.

 

[INCowboysFan]

Emmitt was awesome but he's the all time rushing leader because he has the most attempts.

Just like Walter Payton is 2nd with the 2nd most rushing attempts and Frank Gore is 3rd because he has the 3rd most rushing attempts.


I'm not going to applaud Zeke this year with a 7-7 record and an obvious lack of explosive plays missing from his game and you guys want to point to his overall production but his production is high because of the volume he receives.

Yeah he's converted some 3rd and 1's or whatever.. Big deal. We need big game changing plays from him.

Being able to do this on a consistent basis is a very big deal. Keep the chains moving, extend drives, control time of posession, etc.

 

[aria]

So, a back that has two rushing titles in three seasons (would’ve been 3 for 3 if not for the bogus suspension) is too slow and can’t get the job done? LOL. Stick to badminton.

No, a back who demand to be paid the best and isn’t can’t get the job done, especially without a top 5 O line. As usual, don’t mention that he has the 2nd best run blocking O line in the league this year. Don’t mention he had the best O line in the league his rookie year and a top 5 O line last year. That had nothing to do with his success right? I’m sure he would have had the same numbers playing behind the Giants O line

Don’t mention he had less ypc than other backs but only got the rushing title because he had the most carries. Oh...that’s right, he’s a workhorse, right? A workhorse that had to take himself out of a critical game on 3rd down? A workhorse that constantly has his hands on his hips and gets run down by LB’ers and can’t get to the edge on what would be TD’s and first downs?

He has a couple meaningful games a year, that other RB’s would have similar success behind this O line, and that makes him worth 90 mil? Lol. Do you know how many times a RB with a rushing title has won a Super Bowl in the past 20 years? Why don’t you look that up, get back to me and tell me how much those rushing titles actually mean.

 

[Aviano90]

Zeke rested most of the 4th quarter too, so that changes the "stats".

How does it change the stats? We are looking at averages.

 

[shabazz]

If we can ride Zeke to a championship like we did Emmett, his contract amount will be forgotten. Time will tell

 

[BourbonBalz]

No, a back who demand to be paid the best and isn’t can’t get the job done, especially without a top 5 O line. As usual, don’t mention that he has the 2nd best run blocking O line in the league this year. Don’t mention he had the best O line in the league his rookie year and a top 5 O line last year. That had nothing to do with his success right? I’m sure he would have had the same numbers playing behind the Giants O line

Don’t mention he had less ypc than other backs but only got the rushing title because he had the most carries. Oh...that’s right, he’s a workhorse, right? A workhorse that had to take himself out of a critical game on 3rd down? A workhorse that constantly has his hands on his hips and gets run down by LB’ers and can’t get to the edge on what would be TD’s and first downs?

He has a couple meaningful games a year, that other RB’s would have similar success behind this O line, and that makes him worth 90 mil? Lol. Do you know how many times a RB with a rushing title has won a Super Bowl in the past 20 years? Why don’t you look that up, get back to me and tell me how much those rushing titles actually mean.

Congrats! You’ve won the Dumbest Post of the Year Award! You must be proud.

 

[JReed1000]

Zeke's Power running softened that D up like a Tenderized Steak. Pollard broke off 2 big runs as he should. That's what the change of pace back is supposed to do.

 

[StarMan2112]

This thread reminds me of a time when some were calling for Rod Smith to get more carries.

 

[quickccc]

I guess the coaches at Memphis didn't see what you do either since he wasn't the starter there and only had 104 career carries for the Tigers and couldn't beat out a guy that is currently 3rd in rushing for the Rams. He's not going to be taking Zeke's carries away anytime soon. And if that were to happen, we'd be in a world of hurt.

that was college, and there's been a number of ex-collegiate players that didn't start or get the spot light attention or wasn't drafted in 1st round but rather later on in middle,
.. or even late (ala Aaron Jones- GB) that have ascended more than what their role was in.

If there was a do-over draft from what they are seeing now from lesser regarded college backs like Pollard, Kamara, Aaron Jones, etc. do you think teams would have jump on them much earlier in the
draft as to where they eventually went during the year-round they were drafted in ?