5 areas the Cowboys need to improve in after the bye week
By Randy Gurzi
1. Better overall running back usage
There’s been a lot of discussion this week about the running back situation in Dallas. With Elliott out and Pollard starting, the Cowboys’ offense looked more explosive than they had all season.
Pollard went off for 131 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.36 yards per attempt. On the season, he now has 81 rushed for 506 yards and five touchdowns with an average of 6.2 per attempt.
Those numbers are superior to what Ezekiel Elliott has done as the usual starter has 443 yards and four touchdowns on 109 rushes — with an average of 4.1 per run. Despite the fact that Pollard looked better, Jerry Jones has continued to say this team “goes as Zeke goes.”
That statement in itself is laughable since this is a pass-first league, but it doesn’t mean that Jones is completely wrong in wanting Elliott to get plenty of carries. They probably just need to switch up how the two are utilized.
Using Elliott early in the game has tended to lead to slow starts as he takes a few carries to really get rolling. Pollard often comes in and provides a spark due to his ability to make people miss and explode when there is a hole.
Perhaps simply switching who gets the opening carries would make a difference. Pollard could give the offense a spark and Elliott can come in and be the bruiser that beats up a tired defense. He’s also still dangerous in the red zone, which will be key in tight games.
The truth is, running backs don’t need 20 touches per game to be effective. Meaning there’s a role for each of these players, they just can’t be so focused on who starts the game that it becomes a limitation on their offense.
