Cowboys' Pollard Threat To Zeke? 'I'm Not Shutting It Down'
FRISCO - “Oh no,'' said Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday night when asked whether his nasty calf contusion would cause him to continue sitting, as he did during the NFL Week 15 win over the Niners. "I’m not shutting it down.''
Elliott missed the first game of his pro career due to injury in what would turn into a 41-33 victory at AT&T Stadium. ... and he watched as his caddie, Tony Pollard, took the spotlight.
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Pollard had 69 rushing, including a dynamic 40-yard score, and was also a fluid threat in the passing game, with six catches and 63 yards.
Said Elliott: “He’s a guy you know is super-explosive. You know he can break one at any moment. Before the last play, I told him, 'Go put it on ice,’ and that’s exactly what he did.”
Dallas is now 5-9 with the win, still in the hunt in the NFC East. And while there could be future decisions to be made regarding Zeke and Pollard and the value of the NFL running back ...
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For now, with two games remaining, maybe the value is in employing them both.
“Tony is a totally different feel from Zeke,” tight end Dalton Schultz said. “He sees a hole, he’s going to hit it at full speed. They are both great running backs. Zeke is a downhill, run-you-over kind of guy. I think TP is different ...''
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"Different'' doesn't make Pollard "better'' than the two-time rushing champion. But this coaching staff finally did what it hadn't all year, and finally did what the previous administration didn't do, either: They learned something about Tony Pollard's viability at a full-time back.
That can mean competition in the running backs room this week here at The Star. At the same time, Elliott is happy with the win, happy to plan his return and happy for his caddie.
“Zeke’s like my No. 1 fan,” Pollard said. “He’s a good guy to have on your side.”
