Cowboys fans have gotten accustomed to seeing lead running back Ezekiel Elliott hobble around as he tries to play through a knee injury that has bothered him for two months. The hope was that the team’s mini-bye would provide him ample time to rest up before the all-important final five-game stretch of the season that will decide the division.
Elliott was indeed a full participant in the team’s Wednesday work session, but it was change-of-pace back Tony Pollard who was off to the side rehabbing with trainers and showing up as a DNP on the day’s practice report.
Pollard is said to have a foot injury, though Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports in a tweet that “there doesn’t appear to be any long-term concern” about the issue heading into Sunday’s clash with rival Washington. “He’s fine,” Gehlken’s source told him.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard working on the resistance cords today during the portion open to reporters pic.twitter.com/2Xv5zVIpt2
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 8, 2021
Head coach Mike McCarthy praised the third-year Memphis product for his performance this season.
“Consistency,” McCarthy summarized for reporters in a conference call Wednesday. “I think Tony has definitely established a running style, a play style that he’s extremely consistent with. His vertical-cut run style has been extremely productive, both on offense and in special teams. But I’d say probably the biggest thing I see from Tony from last year to this year is just that he’s playing with unbelievable confidence. He’s obviously very comfortable schematically with what we’re asking him to do. He’s playing with tremendous confidence.”
But an apparently-new foot injury for the explosive Pollard, coupled with an already-gimpy Elliott, casts a bit more light on the team’s decision to sign veteran rusher Ito Smith to the practice squad Wednesday.
Elliott, however, who has maintained that his knee injury has not been a significant issue beyond “soreness,” says he’s more than ready to go- and stay in- versus Washington.
“They’re going to have to drag me off the field,” Elliott said in a press conference after practice.
Elliott had an MRI after last week’s game at the Saints to check the status of his knee. The test brought good news.
“It just showed that it’s progressing and it’s getting better,” Elliott said. “Playing on it is not going to make it worse.”
The injury had previously been called “a bone bruise,” though that now seems to not be the case. Elliott himself had compared the in-game flare-ups he was experiencing to stubbing a toe and having to loosen it up. That’s something that may be more difficult to do this weekend, with gametime temperatures in the D.C. area expected to be in the 40s.
“Yeah, it’s a little harder to warm up outside. But [at] the outdoor games, you get the heated benches, so it’s a little warmer on the sidelines,” he said. “Maybe at the beginning, it’ll be a little stiff, but once the game goes on, I’ll be able to put a little heat on it.”
Elliott has totaled 765 rushing yards on the season, but has not topped 100 in a game since Week 5. Pollard has 602 yards, is averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and has logged the Cowboys’ two longest plays of the season over the past two games. Depth rusher Corey Clement has nine carries for 20 yards in 2021.
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