Quote:Perhaps it was fitting the Elliott-Pollard duo iced the game for the Cowboys. In the three-game winning streak, they have combined for 545 yards, the best by a duo in the NFL. Since Week 2, Elliott is second in the NFL with 309 yards; Pollard is fifth with 236 yards.
While the Cowboys’ identity on offense is its multiplicity, the running game has been the engine for success.
“We’re very competitive, but we’re two different styles of running back,” Pollard said. “It’s big and it’s important, especially when you can have both of those guys on the same team. [We] just feed off each other. Nobody is competing against the next guy. We’re both going out there, doing our own thing.”
Much has been made about Elliott’s offseason work with personal running back coach Josh Hicks and Elliot's drop in weight to 218 pounds, which is what he weighed as a freshman at Ohio State. But Pollard was right there for most of those sessions, too.
“We got a good brotherhood,” Elliott said. “... We keep each other fresh. I mean, I think just all together, we want to see the best for each other. So we’re going to do everything we can to push each other, to challenge each other, to make each other better. To maybe, if there’s something I can help to help his game or something he can help me that's going to help my game, we just push each other to become better players.”
Only twice in Elliott’s time in Dallas (2017, 2020) has the Cowboys’ second-leading ball carrier topped 100 carries for a season, and in 2017 it was because Elliott missed six games while serving a suspension. Last year, Pollard had 101 carries, compared to Elliott’s 244.
Before this year, Pollard had double-digit carries in consecutive games once. In the past three games he had 13, 11 and 10 carries.
But don’t think the Cowboys are phasing out Elliott. He has the fewest carries (64) through four games he has ever had, but his third-most yards (342) and most touchdowns (four). His 47-yard run against the Panthers was his longest since his rookie year.
(This post was last modified: 10-07-2021 06:29 AM by ericsrevenge76.)
Its been super cool to see how the two have played off each other. Zeke is clearly not threatened by Pollard but uses Tony to offset the defense and keep his own legs as fresh as possible on every carry.
Zeke is still the featured back and the spearhead of the rushing attack, but he takes himself out and personally waves Tony in every time he gets 2-3 consecutive touches and rests for 2-3 snaps. He knows it throws the defense off because they are radically different style backs and the defense has to defend them very differently, and it allows him to maximize his own freshness on every single carry. Plus Tony will often rip off a chunk play in the process. Now the defense is in a panic because both guys are gashing them. One with speed and one with brute power.
Then about every 3rd or 4th possession the offense will open with Pollard and feature him nearly the entire series. They will also sprinkle in plays where both guys are on the field at the same time.
So both guys have fresh legs nearly every time they touch the football.
Its been really fun to watch them take defenses apart the last 3 weeks.
(This post was last modified: 10-07-2021 07:00 AM by ericsrevenge76.)
We have come a long way from DeAngelo and Gotti, and listing someone getting on the field and making a special teams tackle or making the practice roster. I have 4 screens and that isn't enough to watch everyone.
(10-04-2021 05:05 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote: Tony showcasing that Memphis accent lol. I love it.
Thanks for posting this. It's refreshing to see that 2 Running Backs can have a symbiotic relationship in the NFL.
Being in Dallas and watching the TV sports shows here, it appears that there have been a lot of comments from the players that there is a tremendous feeling of chemistry between all the players. I think Dak is the one that is leading the team in that direction.
Another huge day for Pollard and Zeke. The cowboys have averaged 200 rushing yards in their last 4 games now. That is rare in the NFL and a sign of pure dominion of the line of scrimmage.
The 2021 Cowboys are bad to the bone. This is their best team since Zeke and Dak went 13-3 their rookie season, and this team looks better than 2016 through 5 games. Dak Prescott is 10 times the QB he was in 2016.
2016 Dak was very limited and they had to rely on RPO's and shotgun/pistol formations because Dak had rarely played under center in college. 2021 Dak dominates the game under center and has ZERO weaknesses. He has become one of the best pre snap QB's and audiblers in the NFL. And we all know his post snap skill set.
Pollard had a big 30 yard run called back on a hold or he would have had 100+. He also had a cluster of clock milking carries in the final 3 minutes that disguise what was another dynamite yards per carry game.
(This post was last modified: 10-10-2021 10:34 PM by ericsrevenge76.)
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Pollard and Zeke
