Tony Pollard’s speed needs to be utilized more (4 WR)

[CowboysFaninHouston]

They should be coming up with creative ways to use both.

I truly think they could put Zeke at fullback and do some cool things out of those formations.

Shotgun with 2 backs as well.

Kellen Moore has gone full Garrett in recent weeks and has decided to make nearly 0 attempt of getting guys out in space.

No counters, very few sweeps, it’s just right up the gut with basic formations and no motion.

I don’t know what on earth thinks we can go to New Orleans and just run on them in a classic fashion.

agreed. he used McGovern in a few plays and they worked well. he can do similar with both in the backfield, specially that Zeke is such a good blocker. keep both in the back. same formation, move pollard out. same formation move zeke out. same formation move either to slot. same formation run a reverse...

and yes, some of the shine is off of Moore......he is not adjusted well to lesser personnel and defenses have adjusted to him and he continues to do the same thing.

 

[quickccc]

Talk of Pollard to 4th WR is ridiculous ... we're already 4 deep at WR.. and i fear the way our run scheme, OL personnel and play calling is tht Pollard will not ever reach his full potential
here as a playmaker.

-He's long been underutilized , you'd like that run instincts and burst on a effective stretch lane scheme but we just do not do that here.
and he's not gonna be "Christian McCaffrey like " when we do not even develop him as a receiver.

- Seems like when we lost both Marc Columbo and Travis Fredrick, we've not been near the same run strength team, but MCCarthy wanted his buddy Joe Philibin here instead.
i'm down with Pollard with Jet sweeps, swing flairs and quick screens but Kellen doesn't prefer them or he loses patience with them.

- i actually though Kellen was getting it when i saw Pollard's involvement with him in same backfield with Zeke, and using Pollard in jet sweeps, but he's taken a step back
with properly using his backs in pass game and run game .

- Pollard is not an exclusively space runner, that's what some was presuming when we drafted him in 4th round. Gimmick guy, special teamer and in space runner.
but he actually has surprisingly solid lower body tackle breaking power for his slender size, he's just the type that you used to be bell cow pounder

 

[irving]

People that doubt Pollards receiving skills, need to go back and check his Memphis highlights. He was outstanding at catching the ball.

 

[Clove]

At times, I'd go with a 2 back set up and 3 wides with one receiver lining up tight ( as a tweener blocker for runs or could get out in a route fast). This set up could cause problems for defenses.

 

[Dak_Attack_09]

Thanks coach.....

agreed. he used McGovern in a few plays and they worked well. he can do similar with both in the backfield, specially that Zeke is such a good blocker. keep both in the back. same formation, move pollard out. same formation move zeke out. same formation move either to slot. same formation run a reverse...

and yes, some of the shine is off of Moore......he is not adjusted well to lesser personnel and defenses have adjusted to him and he continues to do the same thing.

They did that earlier in the season but went away towards mid part of it.

 

[Cmac]

This is the first time I’ve heard the McCaffrey comp and I think you are spot on. They are very similar players. The biggest difference is one plays 95% of the snaps when healthy and the other plays 20%. They should both be in the 70% range to utilize their skill set and keep healthy.

......and McCaffrey has missed games every year.

 

[morasp]

If he would do better on the scramble drill I would agree. Dak get's flushed out of the pocket and he just stood there. I sure wish we would have drafted one of the RBs this year it looks like an above average class.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Uh, no. He needs to be "utilized" as the starting rb.

 

[G2]

Rinse and repeat.

 

[noshame]

Dak, Pollard RPO = many TDs its that simple

 

[RonnieT24]

While the Cowboys absolutely need to find more creative ways to use Pollard.. it doesn't need to be hammering him up the middle 15 times a game like they seem to want to do with Zeke. That plan is stupid no matter which back you favor. This line is not blocking well enough to make thatg a viable plan of attack. Our entire game plan against the Saints should have been to attack them laterally as they were better than we were along the front. I know you cannot run every play wide but the distribution needs to be closer to 50/50 than 90/10 like it has been. But I keep coming back to WR blocking. On Pollard's touchdown we finally got something that we have seen precious little of in recent years.. a downfield block. I think was Turner who went down and walled off one of the pursuers which allowed Pollard the cutback lane. Then I don't know what the hell #43 was doing basically mirroring Pollard down the sideline for 30 yards.. It was like he was expecting Pollard to step out of bounds untouched or something. It was hilarious.. It was a great play by Pollard.. Running outside was the ONLY way we were going to move the ball on the ground against that bunch.. yet we refused to do it.. Absolutely exasperating.

 

[Redline360]

He needs to be used like Christian McCaffrey. That’s his skill set.

Jet motions and sweeps would be nice too to get him in the game with Zeke and maybe drag a man out of the box for Zeke. Same goes for Lamb with that. They need to chill with their 1960s run game and give the OL a little help with play design.



Whatever the deal is the offense needs a lot more Pollard and a lot less Zeke. That’s obvious at this point.

This...

Not sure how KM can't understand this concept.

 

[RonnieT24]

This...

Not sure how KM can't understand this concept.

Hopefully with two huge plays in consecutive games Pollard has enough DCs attention that this can work. The issue we have been fighting up to now is that no matter who else you put in or where you put them when Zeke has been on the field the defense follows him. This has opened up some nice runs for Pollard on the jet sweeps and wildcat plays. But now he should ALSO garner big time attention from opposing defenses which means Zeke could get to see some light box runs down the stretch. A win for everybody involved.. for Zeke.. for Moore and for the offense in general. With Pollard scaring teams on the outside the fake toss to him and inside trap back inside to Zeke could deadly. Or fake to Zeke jet sweep to Pollard or just plain toss to either guy.. Assuming our receivers and tight ends actually want to block.. It will be interesting to see it play out going forward.

 

[Dak_Attack_09]

Talk of Pollard to 4th WR is ridiculous ... we're already 4 deep at WR.. and i fear the way our run scheme, OL personnel and play calling is tht Pollard will not ever reach his full potential
here as a playmaker.

-He's long been underutilized , you'd like that run instincts and burst on a effective stretch lane scheme but we just do not do that here.
and he's not gonna be "Christian McCaffrey like " when we do not even develop him as a receiver.

- Seems like when we lost both Marc Columbo and Travis Fredrick, we've not been near the same run strength team, but MCCarthy wanted his buddy Joe Philibin here instead.
i'm down with Pollard with Jet sweeps, swing flairs and quick screens but Kellen doesn't prefer them or he loses patience with them.

- i actually though Kellen was getting it when i saw Pollard's involvement with him in same backfield with Zeke, and using Pollard in jet sweeps, but he's taken a step back
with properly using his backs in pass game and run game .

- Pollard is not an exclusively space runner, that's what some was presuming when we drafted him in 4th round. Gimmick guy, special teamer and in space runner.
but he actually has surprisingly solid lower body tackle breaking power for his slender size, he's just the type that you used to be bell cow pounder

There are only 3 legit WRs on this team and everyone else is a below JAG. Pollard is a better receiver than those sub-par JAGs with better hands, being faster, more precise route running, physicality, and cat like quickness.

 

[quickccc]

Hopefully with two huge plays in consecutive games Pollard has enough DCs attention that this can work. The issue we have been fighting up to now is that no matter who else you put in or where you put them when Zeke has been on the field the defense follows him. This has opened up some nice runs for Pollard on the jet sweeps and wildcat plays. But now he should ALSO garner big time attention from opposing defenses which means Zeke could get to see some light box runs down the stretch. A win for everybody involved.. for Zeke.. for Moore and for the offense in general. With Pollard scaring teams on the outside the fake toss to him and inside trap back inside to Zeke could deadly. Or fake to Zeke jet sweep to Pollard or just plain toss to either guy.. Assuming our receivers and tight ends actually want to block.. It will be interesting to see it play out going forward.

There are only 3 legit WRs on this team and everyone else is a below JAG. Pollard is a better receiver than those sub-par JAGs with better hands, being faster, more precise route running, physicality, and cat like quickness.

It's like you said - there are "legit' 3 WRs (though i disagree that Ceddy is not legit) ... Pollard is not a WR. those are totally different routes, techniques, press release, and Pollard doesn't
- hasn't developed WR like hands. He should've been developed much like Alvin Kamara coming out of the backfield and motion to match up vs LBs ..but that's clearly been a Kellen failure, imo.
So vastly misused and under-utilized under Kellen.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

I think Pollard could be deadly in the screen game.

 

[RonnieT24]

I think Pollard could be deadly in the screen game.

Not if our linemen keep just running out there and standing around like they have been doing every time we try it lately. Probably 7 of the last 10 or so screens we have tried Dak has ended up either throwing it away or at the back's feet because the linemen don't get a good enough fake on the d-line so the d-linemen just go stand next to the back or when we do complete the pass they watch the defenders run through and make the tackle. The execution on the screens has been horrendous..

 

[Coogiguy03]

GUYS STOP!!! Kellen already has his plays the same plays every week, why would he want to make things better for this team when we're already so great!!!!!!

 

[ItzKelz]

If Zeke is sitting and Tony is the starter then Kamara should be the comp on how to utilize Tony.

 

[JustChip]

and yes, some of the shine is off of Moore......he is not adjusted well to lesser personnel and defenses have adjusted to him and he continues to do the same thing.

That’s an indictment of McCarthy. Yes, an effective manager has to delegate, but that manager also has to set the parameters and goals. McCarthy needs to tell Boy Wonder what adjustments he wants. Just like Quinn had to tell him to take frickin time off the clock at the end if the NO game by running on 2nd & 3rd instead if pass.