With Dak Prescott out for the foreseeable future, the Cowboys could turn to what made them a dominant force in 2016. The run game with Ezekiel Elliott.
When an injury happens in football, it is often a case of the next man up. At the quarterback position, this is not exactly how to approach it. For Dallas, without Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush will be under center for at least four games, likely eight.
This presents a golden opportunity for Kellen Moore to return to what made Dallas a powerhouse over the years, the run game.
Last season, it was clear that Ezekiel Elliott was a shadow of his former self. He lacked explosiveness, struggled to find the running lanes, and when he did manage it, there was no power to his game, and he was often swallowed up rather quickly.
“We ran the ball efficiently last week and I’m looking forward to [doing so in Week 2]… Just gotta protect Cooper [Rush] and establish the run game.”
– Ezekiel Elliott on losing Dak Prescott and preparing for Bengals
Are 10 carries enough?
“Nah.” pic.twitter.com/KWFx8fSVKO
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) September 14, 2022
Of course, we now know that he had a partially torn PCL. Now fully healthy (it seems), Elliott looked like the dominating back that torched opposing defenses with brutality.
The problem with that last year was given what Jerry Jones had just given Dak Prescott in terms of his contract, a four-year, $160 million deal with $95 million fully guaranteed; Jerry would not have wanted Dak to throw 15-20 times a game while Elliott feasted on the ground.
Against Tampa Bay, Elliott looked like his old self. With Cooper Rush under center, it is the perfect time to let Elliott and Pollard feast. Especially given the lack of weapons out wide for Rush to throw to.
Tony Pollard to the 🏡@TP__5 | #LARvsDAL pic.twitter.com/F50dgjlYYq
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 16, 2019
Dallas got away from the run game on Sunday night as they had to chase the game but given the run game was the only thing that seemed to work, they should have stuck with it. Zeke’s power was back; he ran with anger, found the creases, and, more importantly, fell forward for extra yards at every opportunity. From his 10 carries, he mustered 52 yards, going at 5.2 yards a clip. That will work.
The other side of the running back coin is Tony Pollard. Elliott is the power back who will punish you with his physicality; Pollard is the twinkle-toes back that possesses lightning in his cleats. His speed and ability to change direction were a feature last season as he had his best output since entering the league in 2019. From his 15 games, Pollard totaled 719 rushing yards and two touchdowns while catching 39 passes for 337 receiving yards.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said RBs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard “both hold their own. I look at both of those guys as No. 1 runners. …Zeke and Tony both have that ability” to play all three downs. Team making a more concerted effort to have them share field in 2022. pic.twitter.com/z2MsFGCJVe
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 7, 2022
Together, the pair are the perfect foil for Cooper Rush. They can take the pressure off him and force defenses to stack the box. That will then allow receivers to have a better chance at winning on their routes, something which looked like an impossible task against the Buccaneers.
It is time to go back to the run game for the Cowboys. With Elliott looking like he has his burst back and Pollard continually improving, we can’t be seeing Rush throw 30 times against the Bengals.
Will it work? Time will tell, but in Elliott and Pollard, the Cowboys have a running back duo that, if given a chance, can do some serious damage.
