Cowboys RB Tony Pollard: Not-So-Secret Weapon for Dallas Playoffs?

Dallas’ fourth-year running back Tony Pollard is often dynamic with the ball in his hands, both on the ground and as a backfield receiving threat.

At 10-3, the Dallas Cowboys are seemingly poised to punch their ticket to the 2022 postseason, using a formula of efficient offense with a heavy dose of stifling defense.

Though the team has several convincing wins to their credit, Dallas proved their capability of winning the close game on Sunday against the Houston Texans. Quarterback Dak Prescott directed a 98-yard drive, capped by running back Ezekiel Elliott's short touchdown run with 41 seconds remaining. As such, the Cowboys sidestepped a potentially major upset with a 27-23 victory in Week 14 at AT&T Stadium.

Since Prescott’s return from a hand injury in Week 7, Dallas has compiled a 6-1 record. Though receivers CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup have been more-than-adequate targets for the veteran quarterback through the air, Dallas’ offense has been at its best when placing a strong concentration on the running game.

As the lead back, Elliott has taken the majority of the carries, thus far. However, his backfield mate, Tony Pollard has become an equally dangerous option in the Cowboys ground game.

In the win over Houston, Pollard ran the ball 10 times for 42 yards and a touchdown, which came on an 11-yard rush around the edge early in the first quarter. He added four receptions on five targets for 20 yards and a 10-yard scoring strike on a swing pass out of the backfield. 

Pollard has compiled six touchdowns across his last four games. ... and there is reason to think more of that is in store in the postseason.

Playoff games figure to be close. Trench play matters. Grind-it-out matters. But what about one guy who can turn a 4-yard play into a 40-yard play?

That's Pollard. That might be Dallas' not-so-secret edge. And throwing it to him? That's just now in the process of being unveiled.

The Memphis product is often dynamic with the ball in his hands. Yet, the overall consensus seems to be that Pollard may be one of Dallas’ most impactful dual-threat weapons as the March toward the postseason. Thus far, in 2022, he has already set a career-highs in rushing yards with 894 and nine rushing touchdowns. 

However, he is also well-versed as a receiver. This year, Pollard has hauled in 29 passes for 279 yards. Utilizing his abilities as a dual-threat added a new dimension to help kick the Cowboys’ offensive output into high gear.

Though much attention has been placed on the ground prowess of both Elliott and Pollard, it would be smart for the Cowboys to utilize each back to his full potential throughout their home stretch. Having two star-quality backs in their arsenal for 2022 is not a luxury of which they are guaranteed to have in 2023. Pollard is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and is likely to command a hefty salary on the open market. Conversely, the structuring of Elliott’s deal allows Dallas greater flexibility to cut ties with the star running back in 2023, absorbing just north of $11.8 million in dead money if released.

As a result, 2022 looks to be a potentially high-reward year for the Cowboys. The pieces are in place both on offense and defense. While the argument can be made that the performance of Dak Prescott holds the team's fate, it may ultimately be determined by how far they can travel on the legs of their ‘dynamic duo’ of rushers … or the receiving prowess of a dual-threat back.

In the meantime, the Cowboys will head southeast to Florida for a matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Dec. 18 at noon CT from TIAA Bank Field.

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL

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