NFL.com analyst names Cowboys' most underappreciated player
Since 2019, the Cowboys have had one of the NFL's better duos at running back with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. The problem has been that the latter, for whatever reason, hasn't been used enough although he's the more explosive of the two, and that's criminal. A prominent national outlet feels the same way. Early […]
Since 2019, the Cowboys have had one of the NFL's better duos at running back with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. The problem has been that the latter, for whatever reason, hasn't been used enough although he's the more explosive of the two, and that's criminal.
A prominent national outlet feels the same way. Early this week, NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund crunched some numbers and named the most underappreciated player from each team. When it came to the Cowboys, Pollard was the obvious choice.
"Pollard’s 6.4 yards per rush outside the tackles in 2021 ranked second among backs with at least 50 attempts, per Next Gen Stats. His success as Dallas' No. 2 back helped earn him PFF's second-highest grade (90.3) among all RBs. Given questions along the O-line, there is a strong and logical case to be made for Dallas to feature more plays with both Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott on the field."
That last sentence from Frelund may be coming to the light soon. According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Cowboys were working on getting Pollard more involved during OTAs this week, dialing up looks with himself and Elliott on the field simultaneously.
The Cowboys' unwillingness to do this over the previous three seasons has been mind-blowing. During his collegiate days at Memphis, Pollard amassed 941 yards on 139 carries (6.8 yards per attempt and added another 1,292 yards on 104 receptions (12.4 yards per catch). That type of versatility has to be taken advantage of.
Elliott is entering his seventh season with the Cowboys and has nearly 2,000 total touches on his legs. Last season, Elliott was one of the NFL's best running backs during the first five weeks as he was third in rushing with two 100-yard performances. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn PCL in Week 4, which hobbled him the rest of the season.
Although Elliott's production early in the season was encouraging for what he can still bring to the table, once it was known that he was hurt, Pollard should have been more involved in the offense. Not just because he's such a big-play threat, but he can help prolong Elliott's career by cutting down his load, which can keep him healthy.
Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has been heavily criticized for not featuring players like Pollard in the offense. Pollard is too valuable of an asset not to, and Moore has to figure out a way to implement a game plan that involves him a ton this season.
Feature image via Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
