Tag: Tony Pollard

Cowboys’ Pollard: ‘I was back’ starting with Week 11; the numbers say he wasn’t

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys RB says he felt fully recovered from his leg injury in a Nov. 19 win; the stats don’t show any improvement the rest of the way.

The Cowboys’ run game — or lack thereof —was certainly one of the disappointments of the team’s 2023 season. Running back Tony Pollard was set to be the bell cow for the first time after the offseason departure of two-time rushing champ Ezekiel Elliott, and the shifty change-of-pace back would finally get top billing in Dallas’s high-octane offense in Week 1.

But the fifth-year Memphis man was also coming off a brutal lower leg injury sustained less than eight months prior; a fractured fibula and high ankle sprain suffered in the playoff loss to the 49ers. He went on to rack up five yards per carry in the season opener and topped 120 yards a few weeks later against Arizona, but he didn’t resemble the same dynamic runner fans had seen prior to the injury.

Turns out, Pollard didn’t feel the same, either.

Interviewed multiple times during Super Bowl Week, Pollard revealed “The Carolina game is when I probably felt like I was back to my old self.”

The stats, unfortunately, don’t back up that pronouncement.

The Cowboys were already 6-3 coming into that visit to Charlotte. It was Week 11, just four days before Thanksgiving. The season was more than half over. That’s admittedly a long time for the team to have gone without their primary ball carrier feeling like he was 100%.

Dallas had appeared to take offseason precautions to make sure they had backfield depth behind Pollard. They signed veteran Ronald Jones. They drafted the electrifying Deuce Vaughn. Rico Dowdle was once again healthy. Malik Davis waited in the wings.

Jones was dumped immediately after serving a two-game suspension to start the season. The Vaughn experiment was brought to a merciful end after five painful weeks of wasted carries and minimal results. Dowdle saw single-digit carries more games than not. Davis never took a game snap with the offense.

And while Pollard now defines that mid-November Panthers game as a turning point in his season, his numbers in the nine games leading up to that contest and the nine-game span that followed — which includes the postseason — look nearly identical.

Att Yds TDs Yds/Att Att/Gm Yds/Gm
Games 1-9 135 529 2 3.92 15.0 58.8
Games 10-18 132 532 5 4.03 14.7 59.1

Perhaps the most troubling figure there is yards per rushing attempt. Consider that Pollard averaged 5.3 yards per carry as a rookie, then 5.5 in 2021, and 5.2 in 2022. His previous season low had been 4.3 in 2020.

Those years all saw Pollard used in combination with Elliott. His first season as Dallas’s clear-cut lead back? Just 4.0 yards per carry.

Pollard may have felt like he was finally “back” starting in Week 11, but in actuality, he produced no differently whatsoever from that point forward, apart from a few extra touchdowns.

He did go on to notch a 1,000-yard season, but under a 17-game schedule, that once-venerated plateau doesn’t have the same mystique. It requires a rather pedestrian 59 yards per game now to hit 1,000; Pollard averaged 59.1, ending up at 1,005. He had more outings with under 40 yards (three) than with over 80 (one).

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Pollard has said he would like to remain a Cowboy. “If I could choose, I would love to be in Dallas,” he told Blogging the Boys just last week. “But at the end of the day, it is a business. So it is what it is, and you have to be ready for what comes.”

And what’s coming for Pollard is, more than likely, free agency. He played 2023 on a franchise tag, and it’s difficult to imagine the team feels like they got their $10.9 million’s worth.

They may have even been willing to wait through the early part of the season, as he recovered fully from that nasty injury, for him to feel like his old self. Problem is, even once he says he did, he never played like his old self.

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Every NFL team’s rushing leader from the 2023 regular season

Here is every team’s leading rusher from the 2023 campaign

A Carolina Panther led the entire NFL in rushing this past season!

Oh, wait . . . our apologies . . .

A former Carolina Panther led the entire NFL in rushing this past season!  So, congratulations to Christian McCaffrey, who is also just days away from playing on the game’s biggest stage.

Now, as we continue to put a bow on the year, let’s look back at each team’s leading rusher from the 2023 regular season.

Follow the Money: Breakdown of Cowboys RBs salaries, cap hits

A breakdown of the cap spending at the running back position and how despite the cupboard being bare, there’s a sizable chunk being spent at the spot. | From @ArmyChiefW3

As quarterback takes up an enormous percentage of the Dallas Cowboys salary cap for 2024, something they should hope to reduce before the new league year begins, other positions have taken a back seat in how Stephen Jones’ proverbial pie has been divided. And while recent years have seen a sizable investment in the pasture where the bell cows have grazed, that will likely not be the case for the upcoming season.

The lack of a run game in Dallas is a huge concern, but the problem has a clear path to recovery. And while the solution may reside more along the offensive line and its performance, the club will still need to add additional investments to the running back room as it will more than likely look significantly different come training camp. With the top two backs hitting unrestricted free agency, here’s what the Cowboys currently have under contract to replace Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle’s contributions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zulgad: Four potential free agent fits for the Vikings, including a needle-moving defensive tackle

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of options at their disposal in free agency. Judd Zulgad explores 4 targets, including Christian Wilkins.

The internet has been flooded with NFL mock drafts each day in the past month, even though the season isn’t complete. That isn’t a complaint, but it is a reminder that the mocks could change significantly once teams begin to address needs in free agency.

There are plenty of unknowns when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings. What we do know is that Over The Cap has the team with $24.9 million in salary-cap space and $19.8 million in effective cap room. The latter figure is the most realistic because it’s based on the space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class.

The Vikings have the ability to create more room with various moves to cut contracts or restructure them. Of course, that space could be eaten up by the potential return of free agents such as quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Danielle Hunter.

But those possibilities aren’t going to stop us from examining some potential free agents the Vikings could target.

Cowboys lead Commanders 21-10 at halftime in regular-season finale

A solid first half from a depleted Commanders’ team.

The Dallas Cowboys lead the Washington Commanders 21-10 at halftime in the regular-season finale from FedEx Field.

Washington began the game on offense, driving the ball down the field, and should’ve had an easy touchdown, but quarterback Sam Howell just missed an open Terry McLaurin. While the drive continued, the Cowboys stuffed the Commanders on fourth down.

The Cowboys immediately went to work, as quarterback Dak Prescott drove the length of the field and found wide receiver Jalen Tolbert for a touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.

Washington turned the ball over on the first play of the next series, giving the Cowboys excellent field position. However, Washington’s defense stopped Dallas, forcing a field goal. Commanders rookie defensive end Joshua Pryor blocked the Brandon Aubrey kick, allowing cornerback Jace Whittaker to pick it up and return it 66 yards deep into Dallas territory.

Howell found Robinson for a touchdown a few plays later to tie things up.

On the next series, Washington rookie cornerback Quan Martin intercepted Prescott. Howell found Curtis Samuel for what looked like a touchdown, but officials ruled Samuel didn’t get both feet down, which was the correct call. The Commanders would settle for a field goal.

Dallas was impressive on its next drive, as running back Tony Pollard finished it with a short touchdown to run to give the Cowboys a 14-10 lead.

The Commanders were driving again, but Demarcus Lawrence hit Howell as he threw the ball, which was intercepted. The Cowboys quickly turned that turnover into another touchdown when Prescott found CeeDee Lamb to make it 21-10.

Howell completed 14 of 21 passes for 109 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the first half. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught three passes for 37 yards. He entered the game needing 54 yards to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth consecutive year.

Dallas had 241 total yards in the first half, while Washington finished with 141.

The Cowboys will open the second half with the football.

 

Is the Cowboys one-dimensional offense fixable, fine, or a fatal flaw?

The Cowboys offense is getting carried by the passing game, so here’s what’s wrong with the running game and how can it be fixed… | From @ReidDHanson

With just one game remaining in the regular season, it’s become pretty clear what the Cowboys offense is and what it isn’t. They are a one-dimensional attack, relying heavily on the arm of Dak Prescott and the legs of CeeDee Lamb. They aren’t a viable running team, capable of shouldering a load or even keeping defenses honest.

The delta between the air and ground game in Dallas is significant. The ground attack is producing an EPA/rush of -0.67 with a success rate of just 40.9%, while the ballistics department is posting +0.21 EPA/attempt through the air with a success rate of 47.1%. The fact the Cowboys offense is somehow ranked No. 2 in the NFL without any credible form of a ground game to be seen, is a testament to the proficiency of the passing game.

Stop me if you heard this one: the Dallas Cowboys are entering the postseason as a one-dimensional offense.

The Cowboys now find themselves heading into the playoffs with the full weight of the offense on Prescott’s shoulders. It’s similar to how they entered the postseason last year when the running game cratered following Terence Steele’s season-ending knee injury. It also threatens to be their undoing if they can’t fix it and the passing game trips up at some point.

5 Milestones Cowboys can reach in Week 18

Besides the rimary goal of winning the NFC East, the Cowboys can achieve some individual milestones in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders. | From @BenGrimaldi

There’s a lot at stake for the Dallas Cowboys when they take the field against the Washington Commanders in Week 18. Both the team and some players are on the verge of some milestone achievements.

The big picture for the team is simple, win the game and they’ll win the division for the second time in three years. That would be an incredible feat considering where the Cowboys were a few weeks ago when winning the NFC East seemed like a longshot.

Meanwhile, there are also goals for some on a more personal level. Football is the ultimate team sport, but there are some Cowboys who have milestone’s they can hit against the Commanders. Here are some of the key statistical markers that are available for the Cowboys in the season finale.

Cowboys RB Tony Pollard nearing 1,000-yard season; why it may not matter

From @ToddBrock24f7: Pollard needs 73 yards to set a new personal best, but rushing stats have changed and may not be enough to keep him in in Dallas.

Tony Pollard is 65 rushing yards away from his second straight 1,000-yard season. Another eight yards on top of that, and he’ll have a new career high. Both numbers are very much attainable in the team’s regular-season finale versus Washington, where the starters will be playing for a win so as to clinch the No. 2 seed and at least one home date in the playoffs.

But to hear much of Cowboys Nation tell it, the 26-year-old Pollard is as washed as an old pair of dad jeans. It’s why there’s been so much speculation about whether the front office should try to land Dalvin Cook after his surprise release from the Jets. Current Dallas backup Rico Dowdle has been serviceable when healthy, but the team hasn’t gotten much from fullback Hunter Luepke and even less from draft-weekend darling Deuce Vaughn and practice squad fixture Malik Davis.

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Lions run defense continues to smother opposing RBs

The Lions run defense has been very good all season, but the recent run of stuffing RBs has been even better

One of the overlooked facets of Saturday night’s controversially officiated game between the Lions and Cowboys is just how well the Detroit run defense played. For the second week in a row, the Lions turned in an elite defensive performance in stopping opposing running backs.

In this case, it was Tony Pollard. The lead Cowboys RB managed just 49 yards on 16 carries, 18 of which came on one run. Even more impressive than holding Pollard to just over 3.0 yards per carry is that the Lions did so without stacking the box a single time, per Next Gen Stats. Base defense suffocated the opposing running back in Dallas, just as it did one week earlier against the Vikings. Minnesota, Detroit’s Week 18 opponent, gained 16 yards on 10 carries by running backs in Week 16 against the Lions.

It has been an unheralded strength of the Lions defense all season, but especially since the Week 9 bye week. In the eight games since the bye, Detroit’s defense has allowed opposing running backs just 474 yards on 151 carries. That’s an average of just 3.18 yards per handoff. Quarterbacks and wideouts, as well as whatever you want to call Taysom Hill, have fared quite a bit better against the Lions, but the run defense has been great at stopping running backs.

It looks even better on first-down carries by running backs. The Lions have more tackles-for-loss on running backs (10) than runs of five or more yards (9) on 1st-and-10 runs in the last six games.

For the year, Detroit’s overall run defense ranks third (tied with Chicago) in total yards per carry allowed (3.7) and fifth in rushing yards per game (88.8).

 

Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 17 championship

Check out these starts and sits for Week 17.

The fantasy football season comes to a close for the majority of leagues this week, which means managers have just one more weekend of making start/sit decisions in their lineups.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11), or check out our start/bench list for Week 17: