Dallas Cowboys double-headed rushing attack unfair for opponents

Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are more than a nice one-two punch for the Dallas Cowboys. When both are on top of their game, it’s kinda unfair.

During the lead up to Sunday’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins, almost everyone expected yet another blowout. Well, I’m happy to say that they got what they were expecting.

The Dallas Cowboys won the game 31-6. Quarterback Dak Prescott passed for two touchdowns, ran for one, and had 246 passing yards, yet he is not the big story of this game. That belongs to the running backs. But will this two-headed monster lead America’s Team to more wins this season?

Ezekiel Elliott

After rushing only 13 times for 53 yards in Week 1, running back Ezekiel Elliott rebounded with back-to-back 100-yard games. Elliott clearly shook off any rust that he may have had in Week 1.

In the first half, the entire team except for Elliott looked slow. Before halftime, Elliott ran 13 times for 86 yards. He ended the game with 139 total yards but no touchdowns.

Zeke played very well as expected. He averaged 6.6 yards per rush and showed yet again why he received a six-year, $90 million contract extension prior to the start of the season.

Tony Pollard

Running back Tony Pollard enjoyed the extra time he got while Zeke was holding out for his contract. This paved him the way to run 15 times for 84 yards and a touchdown during preseason. This led to even Jerry Jones joking about not needing Zeke.

Pollard and Zeke shared snaps in Week 1 against the New York Giants but Pollard saw a reduced role in Week 2. Then in a dominating win against the Dolphins, Pollard was given more opportunities while Zeke was being rested.

On 13 runs he had 103 yards and a touchdown. Dak also used him in the passing game as Pollard hauled in three catches for 25 yards. The 7.9 yards per rush is a great look at what he is able to do when given the opportunity.

This allows for more flexibility in the offense. The Cowboys won’t need to lean on Zeke as much, so when he does come on the field his legs are fresher. It’s also great because if something were to happen to Zeke, Pollard would be able to step in and do the job well.

Double Headed Monster

Having one player rush for 100 yards is a good game. Having two players rush for 100 yards is simply great. The duo of Elliott and Pollard did just that.

For the first time since 1998, the Dallas Cowboys had two players run for 100 yards. Yes, this was against a depleted Dolphins defense, but it is still great to see both eclipse 100 yards.

It was something that was thought about after Pollard’s performance during the preseason and now, we fans get to witness it. It is unfair for the opposing team to always need to worry about the run game, but great for the Cowboys.

I don’t expect this to happen every week, but if Tony Pollard can step up when he is called upon then that can only mean good things for the Dallas Cowboys. Ezekiel Elliott and Pollard will look to keep up their duo momentum Sunday night against the New Orleans Saints, who possess the 26th run defense in the league allowing an average of 134.7 rushing yards to opposing offenses so far this season.