5 reasons to be nervous about the 2022 Dallas Cowboys
By Randy Gurzi
2. Reliance on the wrong running back
Ezekiel Elliott is a good running back that seems to always find a way to churn out the tough yards. In his six seasons in the NFL, he already has 7,386 yards rushing and 56 touchdowns. He’s also caught 288 passes for another 2,244 yards and 12 scores. On top of that, he’s excellent when it comes to picking up the blitz in pass protection.
The only issue with Elliott is that Dallas is paying him as though he’s the one that makes the offense go. Jerry Jones has blatantly said that this offense runs through Zeke even though this isn’t the 1990s. They’ve even said as much, calling him “the straw that stirs the drink.” Again, he’s a fine player but this is still a passing league and that means Prescott should be the straw that stirs the drink.
On top of that, Elliott isn’t even the most effective running back on the roster. Fourth-year pro Tony Pollard has become one of the best in the game and while he might not be as adept at picking up the blitz as Elliott, he’s a threat to break a big run every time he touches the ball.
.@RealTannenbaum thinks Tony Pollard will be more important for the Cowboys than Ezekiel Elliott.
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 11, 2022
"Tony Pollard is the future! ... He's the guy that defenses are going to fear, not Zeke Elliott." pic.twitter.com/pyAAaiefUJ
Last year, Pollard received the most touches in his career and he was a huge weapon. On the ground, he had 719 yards on 130 rushing attempts and added 337 yards on 39 receptions. That gave him a total of 1,056 yards from scrimmage with just 169 touches.
No one is saying they have to completely abandon Zeke but Pollard is the one that defenses would be more concerned with since he has breakaway speed and can flip the field in an instant for the offense. Elliott can wear teams down, but that only matters when nursing a lead, rather than when they’re trying to build one.