We all remember the “Dine and Dash” tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard from the previous season, but the Dallas Cowboys decided to move in a different path for the 2023 season by letting go of Zeke and moving forward with Pollard.
The fact that Pollard was the starting quarterback did not exactly get off to a good start, as he only managed to score two touchdowns on the ground in his first nine games, but he has been showing signs of improvement as of late.
The other running back, Rico Dowdle, has also been experiencing an increase in the amount of work he has to do as of late. During the game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dowdle rushed for a total of 46 yards and scored a touchdown on 12 tries. Pollard, on the other hand, had 16 rushing attempts for 59 yards. The running game was able to break through the Eagles’ defense and lead to a crucial 33-13 victory.
Mike McCarthy, the head coach of the Cowboys, has recently stated that the team needs to implement a two-back scheme in order to be successful moving ahead, given how difficult the current season is.
McCarthy exclaimed, “You absolutely must have it.” The season is somewhat lengthy, with 17 games. There is a high probability that it is not practical to believe that running backs will touch the ball twenty to twenty-five times.
“Over the past three years, we have been extremely fortunate to have it with Zeke and Tony, and now we are fortunate enough to have it with Tony and Rico. We have a running back room, which is a very fortunate situation for us.
As we witnessed against the Eagles, when Pollard and Dowdle work together, they deliver quite the one-two punch. Pollard, at least statistically speaking, is the lead back with 196 attempts, while Dowdle has 75.
Furthermore, both of them are averaging a phenomenal 4.1 yards per carry, which means that whenever they have the ball in their possession, they are making significant progress. It is possible that having a powerful rushing assault will prove to be the deciding factor because we are entering the closing stretch of the season and players are continuing to experience physical exhaustion.
Earlier in the season, the Cowboys did not have a very strong performance when it came to carrying the ball; however, they have already surpassed 100 yards rushing in five consecutive games. That is certainly something.
With Pollard continuing to demonstrate that he is lightning if he is able to bounce outside and Rico playing the role of the “angry” bruiser, the Cowboys may have yet another weapon to add to the armory of the “Texas Coast Offense.”
It is possible that it is not the same as the “Dine and Dash” of the past, but this new version has demonstrated promising signs of breaking through. If the Cowboys intend to make a deep playoff run, it appears that both will be required, and both will be required to feast.
