'Dine & Dash'! Ezekiel Elliott & Tony Pollard 'Both No. 1 RBs,' Dallas Cowboys Say

To start in 2022? They are, at least until the games unfold, a "tandem'' - two Nos. 1.

FRISCO - "Dine & Dash,'' we've taken to calling them around here, in acknowledgment of Ezekiel Elliott's "Feed Me!'' mantra and in honor of Tony Pollard's splash-play speed.

And on Wednesday, the Dallas Cowboys took to calling them something else.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy announced that he envisions running backs Elliott and Pollard as both being "No. 1 runners."

"I look at both of those guys as No. 1 runners, or however you want to categorize it,'' McCarthy said as the Cowboys prepared here in Frisco for Sunday night's opener against the visiting Bucs. "Tony can play. I think when you look at running backs - I know how I define them - (it’s about) their ability to play on all three downs, and Zeke and Tony both have that ability. Zeke’s done it his whole career.

"So I think they’re definitely a tandem and that’s obviously a focal point for us."

Is this an elevation of sorts for Pollard, who has largely served as a backup to Elliott over the past three seasons?

Is this a step down for Elliott, the two-time NFL rushing champ?

“We're each other’s biggest hype man,'' Zeke said. "I think it’s great that this year we’ve opened up the offense and have more packages with me and Tony on the field. I think that will be good for us.”

That's certainly not the stated view of Elliott, who views his relationship with Pollard as a "brotherly'' one. Besides, there have been hints of this coming - especially last season, when a dinged up Zeke saw Pollard explode in a way as the Memphis product rushed for 5.5 yards per attempt (compared to Elliott's 4.2) and caught 39 passes for 337 yards for 8.6 yards per reception compared to Elliott's 47 catches for 287 yards (6.1).

Pollard's ability as a breakaway threat allowed him to register 6.2 yards per touch versus 4.5 for Elliott. That "threat'' could allow Pollard to also line up at receiver, though again, there is talk of the two of them in the backfield together (and not just as a gimmick.)

Contrary to the critics' take, none of this was ever going to be about contracts. Elliott has an escape hatch next spring from his six-year $90 million deal, and Pollard can be a free agent. They could in theory employ neither of them a year from now.

But in 2022? They are, at least until the games unfold, a "tandem'' - two Nos. 1.

Dallas will open the season on Sunday when it hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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