McCarthy: Cowboys RB Tony Pollard to be limited but back at practice Wednesday

After missing just the second game of his career, Tony Pollard is working his way back and could be ready to face the porous Giants defense. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys running back Tony Pollard is expected to be back at practice on Wednesday after missing Week 14’s outing with a plantar fascia injury. That is not necessarily an indication that he will be available to play in Sunday’s divisional matchup versus the Giants, but it is certainly a step in the right direction for a Dallas run game- and offense- that’s been as flat as the Texas plains in recent weeks.

Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters at his midweek press conference that the third-year back out of Memphis would be “limited,” but was also quick to point out that the entire practice session would be lighter than usual in an attempt to keep players fresh as the season wears on.

“More of a walkthrough-type practice,” McCarthy explained Wednesday.

Pollard tore the ligament in his left foot on Dec. 2 on a 58-yard touchdown sprint against the Saints and was listed as a gametime decision last week, being scratched shortly before kickoff. That was fairly new territory for Pollard, who had previously been inactive just once on gameday, in December of his rookie season.

Ezekiel Elliott, who has been playing through a knee injury for over two months, ended up finishing Sunday’s win over Washington with 12 carries for 45 yards.

“I thought Zeke came out of the game good,” McCarthy said by way of an update on the two-time rushing champ. “His communication has been [that] he’s ready to go. If we were having a full-blown Wednesday practice, I would say he’d be in a full capacity.”

Backup Corey Clement also got some work out of the Cowboys backfield, logging 13 rushing attempts and gaining 44 yards. Even wideout CeeDee Lamb and practice squad call-up JaQuan Hardy were given carries as the team compiled 122 ground yards against Washington.

“It was definitely a big improvement from New Orleans, clearly. We had a good day against the Giants last time we played them, so obviously, that’ll be a bigger challenge this week. Obviously, that’s going to be a focal point for them. We’ve just got to stay the course.”

The Cowboys will look to exploit a Giants defense that’s giving up an average of 125 yards per game on the ground, eighth-worst in the league this season.

Dallas hung 201 rushing yards on their New York rivals back in a Week 5 win. In that game, Elliott amassed 110 on the ground and scored a touchdown. It was his second 100-yard outing of the season; it remains the last time he’s hit that mark. Pollard added another 75 yards that day on 14 carries.

Cowboys fans would love to see both get back on the horse and run roughshod over Big Blue this coming Sunday.

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