Tony Pollard hauls Cowboys to win with first 3-touchdown sport

ARLINGTON, Texas — Tony Pollard wasn’t bragging when he mentioned final week that if the Dallas Cowboys‘ coaches “name it, I’ll haul it.”

He first heard the phrase in a group assembly final week from tight ends coach Lunda Wells and, “it felt prefer it was a great place to make use of it.”

In Sunday’s 49-29 victory over the Chicago Bears, the coaches known as it, and Pollard hauled it whereas filling in for an injured Ezekiel Elliott, setting a profession excessive in touchdowns (three) and equaling his profession highs in carries (14) and speeding yards (131).

“He went on the market and backed these phrases up,” quarterback Dak Prescott mentioned. “That is who he’s, actually. Him saying that assertion isn’t about, ‘Hey, give me 30 carries so I can present you.’ It is, ‘Hey, no matter Coach requires me to do, I’ll do it to the most effective of my capability.’ Whether or not that is spelling Zeke previously simply within the run sport or going on the market and taking the beginning function … He is a playmaker. He is a weapon, and we’ll proceed to make use of him. He is simply nice for this offense and this group.”

Pollard turned the primary Cowboys working again with a minimum of 100 yards speeding and three speeding touchdowns in the identical sport since Julius Jones. On Dec. 6, 2004, Jones ran for 198 yards and three scores on 30 carries in a win in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks.

Pollard turned the primary participant with a minimum of 130 yards and three touchdowns on fewer than 15 carries because the Carolina Panthers’ Tim Biakabutuka in 1999.

“It was huge, simply to indicate I can maximize the alternatives,” Pollard mentioned. “Simply displaying that I used to be prepared.”

Pollard’s landing runs of 18, 7 and 54 yards got here after Bears landing drives that had reduce the Dallas result in 14-7, 28-23 and 42-29.

“We have a look at Tony as a one and Zeke as a one,” coach Mike McCarthy mentioned. “We’re very lucky to have this duo of backs. We put together that manner. We scheme that manner. Tony simply took the lead spot and we deliberate on; the objective was to get him round 20 carries. Frankly if the sport would have gone a distinct course, he might’ve gone to 30 … Tony is a really disciplined runner and he is acquired the house run pace. His capability to run contained in the tackles, however then when he will get on the perimeter, he is harmful as a result of he breaks tackles, and he can end the run. I believed Tony Pollard performed the way in which he at all times does; he simply had extra alternatives right now.”

Elliott was the least stunned by Pollard’s manufacturing.

“I do know precisely what Tony is able to,” Elliott mentioned. “Yeah, he is an explosive again. He is bodily too. He can do every thing. So, I am pleased with Tony and, s—, we acquired to maintain this factor going.”

Elliott mentioned his hyperextended proper knee was feeling a lot improved and subsequent week’s bye ought to assist him return for the Nov. 13 assembly in opposition to the Green Bay Packers. Seeing Pollard excel had Elliott desirous to play.

“It acquired me able to be again on the market. I used to be like, dang, that factor prepared but?” Elliott joked, grabbing his knee. “Shoot, right now was a great day.”

Particularly for Pollard, who’s scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

His 54-yard landing run got here on third-and-1 within the fourth quarter.

“It was mainly a loaded field. That they had a bunch of fellows inside, so we wished to hit them with an outdoor run,” Pollard mentioned. “We did a great job of getting the defenders to chunk inside after which we bounced it and have been in a position to hit a giant one.”

It was the third speeding landing of a minimum of 50 yards in his profession. Solely Corridor of Famers Emmitt Smith, who was in attendance because the Cowboys marked his twentieth anniversary of setting the NFL speeding document, and Tony Dorsett have extra in group historical past with six.

His three runs of a minimum of 40 yards are tied with Travis Etienne Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars for essentially the most within the NFL this season.

“We have two backs who can do all of it, and it makes defenses need to suppose and fear about all the opposite stuff happening too,” All-Professional proper guard Zack Martin mentioned. “We nonetheless have loads of work to do, however we did take a step offensively, and it was good to see.”