Mandatory Credit: Photo by Michael Ainsworth/AP/Shutterstock (13604507k) Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (20) runs against the Chicago Bears during an NFL Football game in Arlington, Texas Bears Cowboys Football, Arlington, United States – 30 Oct 2022
Pollard slices, dices way to career day
Some Cowboys fans have asked for it.
Probably a few of them more than once.
Some fans have screamed for it on gamedays.
Some fans have mumbled about it under their breath.
Before games, after games, during games, social media feeds are littered with the same sentiment – more Tony Pollard.
Against the Bears, all these vocal Cowboys fans got what they wanted – Pollard as RB1.
And he delivered with the best game of his four-year career in Sunday’s win over Chicago, racking up 147 total yards from scrimmage.
“Tony is a very disciplined runner, and he’s got the homerun speed,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said. “He has the ability to run inside the tackles, but then he gets on the perimeter, and he’s dangerous because he breaks tackles and can finish the run.”
The fourth-round pick in 2019 out of Memphis rushed for 131 yards on 14 carries, scoring on runs of 18, seven, and 54 yards, in that order.
“The last (touchdown) was tough,” said Pollard, who also caught one pass for 16 yards. “I was winded, but I got in there.”
Just like the long TD run that put the game away, his other two scoring runs came via multiple cuts as he smoothly cruised through the Chicago defense like a snake through grass all afternoon.
“I felt like we did a great job playing team ball,” Pollard said. “It isn’t just about me or anybody else; we did a great job of playing team ball. … We did a good job of finishing.”
Pollard had four double-digit runs in the game, which had the Chicago defense trying to tackle air while averaging 9.4 yards a carry in the 20-point win.
“He’s explosive, that is the best word you can use for him,” Cowboys All-Pro right guard Zack Martin said about Pollard. “The way he hits those holes, he almost high knees through the line. Very rarely does a guy clip his feet and take him down. He had a big day (Sunday), and it was fun to watch.”
What Sunday didn’t do was change the number of touches that Pollard has been getting in his role of a traditional RB2.
He has averaged over 11 touches a game this season, with his most before Sunday being 14 against Detroit.
“He runs with a lot of power,” McCarthy said. “He breaks tackles in-line in and second level, so he is not an easy guy to get down.”
Sunday was the fifth time in his 54-game career that Pollard rushed for more than 100 yards.
He did it twice in his rookie season of 2019, including a 103-yard performance in just his third game in the NFL. He added a third 100-plus yard game in 2021 when he ripped through the Los Angeles Chargers for 109 on 13 carries during a Week 2 win for the Cowboys.
His fourth triple-digit day came in this season’s Week 3 win over the New York Giants, where he cashed in for 105 yards on 13 carries.
“Tony is extremely confident, which has been my experience since I arrived here,” McCarthy said. “He doesn’t blink. He works the same every day. He practices hard. He is an extremely consistent player and person. That obviously plays well for the way he performs.”
Sunday’s 131-yard performance on the ground tied his best rushing game as a pro, which came in a Week 14 win over the Los Angeles Rams during Pollard’s rookie season. He did it in 12 carries that day but only found the end zone once.
“I would say I had a pretty good performance,” Pollard added about his game against the Bears.
Pollard, who now has 627 total yards this season on 93 touches, has rushed for 506 yards in eight games on 81 carries.
Expect more of the same from Mr. Consistency after the bye week when the Cowboys take on Green Bay in Week 10.