Should the Cowboys give Tony Pollard more playing time?
By Connor Green
The Dallas Cowboys are struggling to find production in the run game. Should they turn to a split-back system?
The Dallas Cowboys are struggling to do something that has defined the team over the past five seasons, establish the run. The Cowboys had the fifth-highest rushing yards per game last season with 134.6. So far this year the team is ranked 23rd in that category with 105 rushing yards per game.
Certainly, part of the organizations’ struggles to establish the run can be explained by the way that injuries have decimated the teams’ offensive line. Losing several Pro Bowl-caliber O-linemen will certainly make it more difficult to run a balanced offense.
It should also be noted that the fact that America’s Team has found itself constantly trailing by large margins has diminished the teams’ chances to establish the run. However, the teams’ struggles seem to go beyond injuries and their early deficits.
In 2019 the Cowboys had the fifth-highest rushing yards per attempt as a team with an impressive 4.8. This season the team is currently posting a lackluster 4.1 yards per rush. This number puts them in the bottom half of the league.
Part of Dallas’s struggles in the running game can also be attributed to the fact that their starting running back, Ezekiel Elliott, currently leads the league in fumbles with five. This includes two fumbles in the teams’ loss this past weekend to the Arizona Cardinals.
One of the ways the Cowboys can try and revitalize their running game might be to allow their backup running back Tony Pollard to get more touches. Pollard, who only has 23 rushes on the year thus far, is widely considered to be a better option in the passing game.
The 23-year-old back has an impressive five yards per rush in his young career. He has also only fumbled the ball once through his first 21 games.
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The Dallas Cowboys might want to consider giving Tony Pollard more touches moving forward. The shake-up might help revitalize the teams’ struggling running game and take some pressure off of Ezekiel Elliott moving forward. America’s Team has been defined by their running game over the past half-decade, maybe giving a promising young player more looks can help them reclaim that identity.