FRISCO, TEXAS — New season, new coaching staff, and the Dallas Cowboys are mixing things up. Offensively, Mike McCarthy wants to spread out the ball and have players lining up in multiple places to confuse defenses in 2020.
With that being said, expect to see more plays this season with both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard on the field together creating mismatches. Both backs can make an impact in the running game, as well as the passing game. At the inception of a play when Pollard takes the field, defenses will not know if he is lining up in the slot, out wide, or catching out of the backfield; the same is true for Elliott, who told media he honed in on his pass-catching during the virtual offseason program.
Running back’s coach Skip Peete is excited about the second-year player. He told media via conference call, “ I think Tony has done a real, real nice job thus far. He’s worked extremely hard as far as learning basically the running back position and having the ability- we can remove him from the formation and have him line up like a wide receiver and run receiver routes. So, he’s been very impressive. “
Despite a limited role last season, Pollard made the most of his opportbities and proved to be a reliable backup and complement for featured-back, Ezekiel Elliott. In 199 offensive snaps, Pollard accumulated three touchdowns and 562 yards. He had several impactful runs making defenders miss in the open field and heading into this season, the Memphis product is feeling the best he has ever been with his mental preparation.
“ Really just my mental; my mental aspect of the game. Physically, I’m pretty much the same as last year. But mentally, I’m in a completely different stage as last year. Just knowing how to play things and knowing what to expect and just seeing things before they happen from the experience of last year and having a whole camp under my belt from last year.”
Pollard will likely have a larger role in the Cowboys’ offensive attack in his second year and that is certainly what you want to hear. The young player is putting in the effort to make an impact when his number is called. When Pollard and Elliott step onto the field together, they will be a lethal combination.
“ I mean, you have two different guys in the same backfield, “ Pollard described. “Two different style runners. It’s completely different for the defense. They have to prepare for two different things and never know what to expect.”
