Cowboys' playmaker made good on his proclamation in Week 8 win
Before the Dallas Cowboys took on the Chicago Bears in Week 8, without running back Ezekiel Elliott, backup Tony Pollard made himself very clear when it came to handling a big workload. "I mean whatever they ask of me to carry, I got it," Pollard said. "They call it, I’m gonna haul it." Pollard has […]
Before the Dallas Cowboys took on the Chicago Bears in Week 8, without running back Ezekiel Elliott, backup Tony Pollard made himself very clear when it came to handling a big workload.
"I mean whatever they ask of me to carry, I got it," Pollard said. "They call it, I’m gonna haul it."
Pollard has had explosive performances before. Against the Bears, Pollard went nuclear with what was probably the best showing of his young career, and better yet, proved he's a man of his word.
Cowboys' offensive coordinator Kellen Moore didn't waste any time getting Pollard involved. On the Cowboys' first possession, which was capped off by a Dak Prescott touchdown run, Pollard gained 25 yards on four carries, and another 16 receiving one his only reception of the game.
The Cowboys' second drive didn't feature Pollard at all, but he got back to work on the next series. He would tote the rock three times for 26 yards on a six-play drive, and capped it off with an 18-yard touchdown run in which he displayed his ability to make cuts on a dime without losing speed.
However, that was just the beginning of Pollard's monster day.
After the Bears stormed back from a 21-point deficit to cut the lead to five, Pollard scored his second touchdown of the day from seven yards out, but he saved his biggest fireworks for last.
Dallas had the ball with just under 14 minutes to play with a 13-point lead. All of the Cowboys' five plays were runs, with Pollard getting four of them. Pollard gained 72 yards on those opportunities, but the final one saw him dash the Bears' defense for 54 yards down the sideline for his third rushing score of the game, putting the final nail in Chicago's coffin.
Whatever questions anyone had about Pollard's ability to be the guy were put to bed on Sunday. He produced 147 all-purpose yards on just 15 touches which included an unreal 9.4 yards per rush. Pollard has already set a career-high with five rushing touchdowns and his 6.2 yards per rush is tied for first in the NFL among running backs.
The ascension of Pollard has caused a lot of people to put Pollard and Elliott against one another instead of appreciating that the Cowboys have two capable runners. However, Elliott was Pollard's biggest fan on Sunday, constantly showing his excitement when his running mate made chopped liver out of the Bears' run defense.
Elliott spoke about Pollard's huge day after the Cowboys secured their sixth win of the season, and it was nothing but glowing praise.
“Tony ran lights out,” Elliott said. “He did his thing today. He took off. I know what Tony is capable of. He’s explosive, but he’s physical, too. He can do everything. I’m proud of Tony.
“It’s always good to see someone that puts a lot into this game reap the rewards.”
Even once Elliott is back in action, the Cowboys should keep putting the ball in Pollard's hands as much as possible, and let the combination of his explosiveness and Elliott's game of pounding defenses between the tackles cause nightmares.
Feature image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
