Tony Pollard's season

[Denim Chicken]

Pollard lost something with the injury for sure. I think he's even admitted it.

However, the blocking and the playcalling has been significantly worse in the run game. Some have speculated that we are actually telegraphing our runs somehow and the league has caught on.

 

[jblaze2004]

silly comment. virtually all backfields are shared

Exactly the point. Unless its a back like CMac. Now you need a back that can not only run the ball good but be used as a weapon in the passing game. And the main thing score TD's. You pay that type of player otherwise you can find backs in the draft or FA that can just run the ball or just catch the ball or a goal line back. And pay them less. Which is where the NFL is trending toward.

Tony Pollard isn't that guy. CMac scores on that play vs the Dolphins.

I just don't know what Pollard was thinking here. Who cuts it back to where all the players are instead of running to where you only have to beat one guy? Even my wife watched and was like why didn't he just keep running toward the pylon.
He is not a main guy.

This was a perfect play design and the Cowboys had what they wanted. Pollard failed to complete the mission.

 

[JayFord]

if he gets 1000 yards itll be the most unimpressive 1000 yard season ive seen

and a large part of that is the offensive line the other is his lack of burst coming off injury

 

[Dale]

I think two things have negatively impacted Pollard's season: 1) the aspect of returning from a significant leg injury; and 2) the absence of a bona fide running mate.

It seems clear that Pollard is not a bellcow or a lead back in this league. For as inefficient as Zeke was in his role last year, he still played a role in wearing down opposing defenses and allowing Pollard to come in fresh-legged. We clearly don't have that this year.

 

[Proof]

But isn’t longevity part of the equation?

it is. he's available and they aren't, so that's a plus. but a ranking of counting stats where the bigger hitters have missed time is less impressive than it sounds.

 

[INCowboysFan]

Barely cracking 1k yards in a 17 game season is not good at all.

 

[Cmac]

Speaking of Zeke, he’s currently #39, with 588 yards and 1 touchdown.

.......and with a bad Mac Jones/Zappe combination under center. Are we going to leave that out?

 

[Kellsbells]

.......and with a bad Mac Jones/Zappe combination under center. Are we going to leave that out?

Not at all. I just figured the genius coach would figure out how to use him and get him into the end zone if he had anything left in the tank.

 

[visionary]

Pollard has been horrible

 

[DFWJC]

a lot of the leagues best backs have been injured this year making ranking look more impressive than it is

This is the year a record number of QBs have been out, but the RBs have been surprisingly durable this year.

Other than Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb there really haven't been many top RBs that have missed significant time.
Kyren Willaims missed some games but he's still the 2nd leading rusher.

 

[RonnieT24]

Speaking of Zeke, he’s currently #39, with 588 yards and 1 touchdown.

You might wanna look at that again. Zeke has 3 rushing TDs not one. He also has 2 receiving TDs.. the last one being a thing of beauty as he hurdled a DB at the 15 yard line and barely broke stride on the way into the end zone. The Pats line is even worse than what the Cowboys were trotting out there at the end of last season. Which I would not have thought possible but they are. They stink out loud. And both QBs the Pats have trotted out have stunk worse. Still the Pats have been able to beat two playoff contending teams (Steelers, Broncos) and hang with two others (KC, Bills) since Zeke took over the starting duties from Stevenson. They're 2-2 in probably the toughest stretch of their season. The numbers aren't pretty but he's doing a lot of the same things he did for the Cowboys.. fighting for plus yards despite being hit in the backfield, finding the endzone, converting first downs and protecting the QB. If you just read the stat sheet you will not be impressed but if you watch the games you can see Zeke is helping them. Problem is, he's no longer good enough to CARRY them. I'm not sure anybody is. Their talent on offense is awful.

 

[KMY_Amber]

Exactly the point. Unless its a back like CMac. Now you need a back that can not only run the ball good but be used as a weapon in the passing game. And the main thing score TD's. You pay that type of player otherwise you can find backs in the draft or FA that can just run the ball or just catch the ball or a goal line back. And pay them less. Which is where the NFL is trending toward.

Tony Pollard isn't that guy. CMac scores on that play vs the Dolphins.

I just don't know what Pollard was thinking here. Who cuts it back to where all the players are instead of running to where you only have to beat one guy? Even my wife watched and was like why didn't he just keep running toward the pylon.
He is not a main guy.

This was a perfect play design and the Cowboys had what they wanted. Pollard failed to complete the mission.

Yes, this was not one of his better moments, we can all agree.

But I don't think we need a new "main guy" at RB, not yet. Right now, we need better run blocking and better 1st down run schemes. How about less stretch runs and more power runs with a FB? McCarthy and the o-line need to improve first, else the Cowboys will spend money to bring in a "new main guy" and he'll be getting stuffed at the LOS as well.

Now, yes, a new main guy likely scores on this single play, I admit that. But this Cowboys offense is now a passing-first offense, so whichever new RB we get, the game plan still can't be focused on the running game. The offense rests on Dak's feet and arms, it's simply the way this team is built right now. And with McCarthy calling plays, we can already see that he's a way better passing game planner than run-game planner. So, the Cowboys should just be who they are...forcing 1st down runs is truly becoming wasted plays. Hec, the Cowboys TEs can't even block, the DEs just run right past them. It's a mess.

So, just spread out the offense, and use Pollard more in the passing game (or Draw plays), and use Turpin more, and whoever else. It's time to get creative on 1st down.

 

[RonnieT24]

Just saying, if it’s so much easier, why aren’t more guys doing it?

"It's quarterback driven league" and "It's a passing league" ring a bell?

 

[ghst187]

Wanted Henry to pair with Pollard, not take his place. We just don't have that inside running presence that we had before. Pollard does his best but he's better on the fringes where he can make use of his speed and shiftiness in space.

I think expectations for Pollard were a bit unfair in the lead back role. Many were probably expecting the 5-plus-yard back that he was in a backup/shared-time role, but it's just tougher sledding when you are the main guy.

Me too. Henry had some tread left, esp as a complimentary and short yard guy.

 

[RonnieT24]

Me too. Henry had some tread left, esp as a complimentary and short yard guy.

If we got Henry he would have been inserted as the starter and Pollard would come off the bench. Pollard is not as good as Henry so having him start over Henry would be dumb. Frankly I never thought Pollard was as good as a healthy Zeke but people blinded by one legged Zeke concluded he was. Zeke was the better of the two before hurting his knee both in '21 and in '22. This team would have a better running attack if they'd figured out a way to keep him. Even if it was as the short yardage specialist and relief pitcher.

 

[Proof]

This is the year a record number of QBs have been out, but the RBs have been surprisingly durable this year.

Other than Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb there really haven't been many top RBs that have missed significant time.
Kyren Willaims missed some games but he's still the 2nd leading rusher.

along with josh jacobs, aaron jones, kenneth walker, david montgomery, austin ekeler, etc. there's been a ton of rb injuries, just not season ending.

 

[Blackspider214]

As awful as the running game has seemed at times, TP is only 65 yards short of 1,000 (935) and 10th out of all running backs. McCaffrey leads all backs by a wide margin with 1,459, but TP isn’t that far off from the rest of the top ten and could pass a few of them with one decent game. Derrick Henry, who many were begging the Cowboys to get before the trade deadline, has 1,014. However, Henry does have 11 TDs compared to TP’s 5.
Has his season truly been as bad as everyone thinks it was?

1,000 yards over a 17 game season isn't some big feat. Especially from a bell cow RB, not sharing the load like most other RBs.

Also, I am not just looking at stats on paper. How effective and influential has Pollard been this year? Not much. Also hardly has any TDs.

This season proves he was the product of how good Zeke was. Zeke wore down defenses, even late in his tenure here.Pollard came in as a change of pace and took advantage. Just like Barber and Jones in 2007.

And don't discount the leg injury in the playoffs. He even admitted he was just finally feeling recovered fully from that a few weeks ago.

I hated we gave him the franchise tag and still don't like it. Could have easily found some RBs in the draft to do what he did.

 

[goshan]

Exactly the point. Unless its a back like CMac. Now you need a back that can not only run the ball good but be used as a weapon in the passing game. And the main thing score TD's. You pay that type of player otherwise you can find backs in the draft or FA that can just run the ball or just catch the ball or a goal line back. And pay them less. Which is where the NFL is trending toward.

Tony Pollard isn't that guy. CMac scores on that play vs the Dolphins.

I just don't know what Pollard was thinking here. Who cuts it back to where all the players are instead of running to where you only have to beat one guy? Even my wife watched and was like why didn't he just keep running toward the pylon.
He is not a main guy.

This was a perfect play design and the Cowboys had what they wanted. Pollard failed to complete the mission.

95% of backs probably score on that play, and Pollard probably scores 95% of the time himself. Lots aren't realizing that he ran into Ferguson which killed his momentum, otherwise he easily gets over the goal line. It also appeared that the defender got his hand on the ball so Pollard was worried about fumbling which made him react to cover up and lose further momentum. But yeah probably a bad decision to cut back there. He should have scored - it was a bad run. Good players make mistakes.

Pollard was 'a' or the 'main guy' last year. His stats - including volume and explosiveness - back that up and were excellent. If you think teams were keying on Zeke and not Pollard last year you would be wrong.

This year Pollard has been mediocre. Probably a combination of recovering from last year's injury, poor blocking/play selection and maybe fatigue because of snap count. He has been good once he gets through the line at extending plays (primarily with leg drive) but he isn't making anyone miss at the LOS and I'm not sure his vision has been good. He does look a step slower than last year to me.

Comparing him to CMac is silly - who probably should be MVP of the whole NFL. That's a different conversation than is Pollard 'the main guy' or 'a main guy'.

All that said, I would draft another back in round 2-3. I would consider signing Pollard for $3-$5M a year, but also won't lose much sleep if we let him go either.

 

[Kellsbells]

95% of backs probably score on that play, and Pollard probably scores 95% of the time himself. Lots aren't realizing that he ran into Ferguson which killed his momentum, otherwise he easily gets over the goal line. It also appeared that the defender got his hand on the ball so Pollard was worried about fumbling which made him react to cover up and lose further momentum. But yeah probably a bad decision to cut back there. He should have scored - it was a bad run. Good players make mistakes.

Pollard was 'a' or the 'main guy' last year. His stats - including volume and explosiveness - back that up and were excellent. If you think teams were keying on Zeke and not Pollard last year you would be wrong.

This year Pollard has been mediocre. Probably a combination of recovering from last year's injury, poor blocking/play selection and maybe fatigue because of snap count. He has been good once he gets through the line at extending plays (primarily with leg drive) but he isn't making anyone miss at the LOS and I'm not sure his vision has been good. He does look a step slower than last year to me.

Comparing him to CMac is silly - who probably should be MVP of the whole NFL. That's a different conversation than is Pollard 'the main guy' or 'a main guy'.

All that said, I would draft another back in round 2-3. I would consider signing Pollard for $3-$5M a year, but also won't lose much sleep if we let him go either.

I never compared him to CMac, only said that there’s CMac then everyone else. Statistically, he’s right there with the rest of the teams lead backs in the league, although it sure hasn’t felt like it.

 

[Cowboyny]

As awful as the running game has seemed at times, TP is only 65 yards short of 1,000 (935) and 10th out of all running backs. McCaffrey leads all backs by a wide margin with 1,459, but TP isn’t that far off from the rest of the top ten and could pass a few of them with one decent game. Derrick Henry, who many were begging the Cowboys to get before the trade deadline, has 1,014. However, Henry does have 11 TDs compared to TP’s 5.
Has his season truly been as bad as everyone thinks it was?

He basically has turned into the Zeke we saw the last two seasons.