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Cowboys 41, Niners 33: 'The Tony Pollard Game The NFL Didn't Want You To See'

Dallas Cowboys 41, Niners 33: The Tony Pollard Game The NFL Didn't Want You To See

Mike Fisher

ARLINGTON, Texas - Welcome to Dallas Cowboys 41, San Francisco 33 - "The NFL Game The NFL Did Not Want You To See.''

This once-rivalry no longer boasts winners, as was the case in the early 1990's, and no longer boasts marquee quarterbacks, as was the case a couple of months ago.

“For sure, you definitely want to play on prime time (TV),” said Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, the two-time rushing champion who, going into this outing found his "America's Team'' being yanked from Sunday Night Football to instead play at noon here at AT&T Stadium. “But, like everything this year, so many different things (have occurred) that we kind of just have to move and adapt ... 

"Just another little wrinkle the year’s thrown at us.”

And then, not only did the Cowboys get yanked - Zeke got yanked as well.

While Elliott was scratched due to injury (for the first time in his NFL career), young backup Tony Pollard was given the opportunity to shine. And he did, from start to finish.

Mostly, under first-year coach Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys have not generally "adapted'' very well to ... well, anything. That's contrary to the stated view of owner Jerry Jones and his declaration of McCarthy job security, but the fact is that Dallas has a losing record after having dealt with injuries and COVID and all the other "different things'' to which Elliott alludes.

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But while a 5-9 record is not "dealing well'' or "adapting well'' in terms of the season, McCarthy's bunch deserve credit for "dealing'' and "adapting'' here.

What Dallas did here is find away to top another franchise bogged down in injuries and woe - and getting out of the way so kids like running back Pollard (12 carries for 69 yards and two TDs, plus six catches for 63 more) in relief of Elliott ...

"Zeke's like my No. 1 fan,'' Pollard said. "He's definitely a good guy to have on your side."

Additional standouts included receiver CeeDee Lamb (five catches for 85 yards and a game-sealing kickoff return for a score) and safety Donovan Wilson (who recorded one of two interceptions for a Dallas defense that was vulnerable but aggressive), along with ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Aldon Smith.

Yes, the Cowboys entered this season thinking of themselves as Super Bowl contenders. And the now-5-9 Niners? They didn't just think it; they went to last year's Super Bowl.

But they don't have injured QB Jimmy Garoppolo, and Dallas doesn't have injured QB Dak Prescott, and the old ratings-darling twins are plodding through 2020 basically just waiting for the calendar to change numbers.

Unless ...

READ MORE: Cowboys Coordinator Nolan Speaks Up On Firing Rumors

Washington's 20-15 loss to Seattle keeps alive Dallas' thin one-game-out-of-first hopes of winning the NFC East. Maybe also kept alive: The office of Dallas' beleaguered coordinator Mike Nolan, who certainly had his players invested in effort here.

READ MORE: Could Dallas Cowboys Trade 'Our Best Player' Ezekiel Elliott To Jets?

Elliott spent the week at The Star limping around on a bruised calf and barely practicing - then on Sunday, by sitting, raised to risk of falling short of 1,000 yards in 16 games after never having fewer than 1,357 in his three previous full seasons.

But a win feels good. Survival feels good. And learning something about Ezekiel Elliott's caddie Tony Pollard? That's the AT&T Stadium feel-good story of the day ... even if all of "America'' didn't get to watch its "Team.''

Published
Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1990, is the author of two best-selling books on the Cowboys.

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