“Give the ball to Tony Pollard” – NFL analyst claims it’s time for Cowboys to demote Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott missed his first game of the season in Week 8. Instead of a dip in production at the position, backup Tony Pollard exploded against the Chicago Bears. He recorded 131 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Speaking on Get Up, NFL analyst Ryan Clark pressured the Dallas Cowboys to demote Elliott in response, reducing his responsibilities. Here's how he put it:
"Zeke can do all those things that you want him to do, and he doesn't have to have the ball. We can give the ball to Tony Pollard. You think Zeke could block? Let him freaking block. You think Zeke is great on short yardage? Let him run it on short yardage."
He continued, claiming the running back should allow Pollard to get more than a dozen touches per game:
"Zeke can do all those things. And then Tony Pollard could get his 15 to 17 touches a game, be super explosive and never have to do any of the hard stuff."
With Pollard on the rise, there are questions as to whether Elliott is on the decline.
Ezekiel Elliott in recent years
In 2016, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 1631 yards and 15 touchdowns in his rookie season. Since then, he's failed to hit that mark. However, he's earned at least 975 yards in every season of his career. The running back has rushed for 443 yards and four touchdowns in seven games this campaign.
At his current pace, assuming he doesn't miss another game, the running back will finish the year with about 880 yards and eight touchdowns. This is a poor return for such an expensive running back. Meanwhile, Pollard has been with the team since 2019. In that time, he's earned 5.3 yards per carry compared to Elliott's 4.1 yards per carry.
Pollard really did make the most of his opportunity against the Bears and many an eyebrow was raised. Whether he will retain the starting role is going to be a matter of some debate. When Ezekiel Elliott returns, will he be returning to the job as he knows it or will he be relegated to a new, smaller set of responsibilities?
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