Dallas Cowboys: The case for starting Tony Pollard

Here’s why Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard should be the starter

The Dallas Cowboys fell to 2-7 on the season after their 24-19 loss to the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cowboys played admirably considering they were on their fourth starting quarterback of the season and were playing with a decimated offensive line. The defense turned out another solid performance against the fifth-best scoring team in the NFL.

Despite the solid performance from the defense and a better than expected performance from quarterback Garrett Gilbert the team still fell short of the victory. Part of this can be attributed to the team’s starting running back Ezekiel Elliott who turned in another abysmal performance.

Elliott, who was playing through a hamstring injury, finished the game with only 51 rushing yards on 18 carries (2.8 yards per attempt). Meanwhile, backup running back Tony Pollard finished the game with more rushing yards despite only receiving half of the attempts. Pollard averaged over six yards a carry in the matchup.

This is yet another poor performance for the 25-year-old running back who has struggled all season long. After yesterdays’ game, Elliott now averages a woeful 3.8 yards per rushing attempt on the year. The only thing that the two-time rushing champion leads the league in thus far in the season is fumbles with 4.

The fact of the matter is that Elliott no longer looks like the same player who burst into the league back in 2016. That year, behind a tremendous offensive line, he paced the league in rushing yards with 1,631, roughly 300 more than the next highest player. The fifth-year back is now barely on pace to top 1,000 yards this season.

Keeping in mind the fact that Dallas is currently sitting at 2-7 on the season, but miraculously not out of the race for the NFC East, it is time for the team to give 23-year old running back Tony Pollard a chance to start. Maybe, benching Zeke will give the young running back the motivation he needs to turn his sputtering season around. Regardless, it is clear that Pollard is the better player at this moment.

The Dallas Cowboys need to find out what they have in their young players across the board. Starting Tony Pollard might give them the spark they need in the rushing game to breathe life into the teams’ struggling offense. That possibility alone should be enough for America’s Team to give him a chance as their lead back.