FRISCO, Texas -- Twenty years after Emmitt Smith broke Walter Payton’s record for rushing yards, Ezekiel Elliott was asked a simple question.
Can he play 13 years with the Dallas Cowboys like Smith did?
“Thirteen years?” Elliott said, in his seventh season, slowly shaking his head wondering. “We’ll see. I’d love to play that long, but that’s so far away from now. I’m really focused on beating the Bears.”
A hyperextended right knee might keep Elliott off the field Sunday against the Chicago Bears (1 p.m. ET, Fox). He has missed just one game in his career because of injury, but he has not practiced this week and is listed as doubtful. The Cowboys might find it better to hold Elliott out this week and rest him during next week’s bye to make sure he is good for the final nine games of the regular season.
If they do, then Tony Pollard will get a chance many have wanted to see since Elliott suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last season.
“I mean, whatever they ask of me to carry, I got it,” Pollard said. “They call it, I’m gonna haul it.”
Pollard has never had more than 14 carries in an NFL game. The last time he had more was in his final game at Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl against Wake Forest on Dec. 22, 2018, when he carried 17 times for 109 yards and a touchdown.
“It’s been a minute,” Pollard said.
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Ever since the Cowboys selected him in the fourth round in 2019, the question has been how much work he can handle? At Memphis, he played more as a slot receiver than running back. With the Cowboys, his usage has ticked up each season. He had 86 carries as a rookie (behind Elliott’s 301), then 101 carries in 2020 and 130 carries in 2021.
He is on pace for 163 carries this season, which would rise if Elliott does not play against the Bears.
Pollard said he came into the league at 208 pounds. The Cowboys’ media guide lists him at 212 pounds, and now he said he weighs about 217 pounds. Some of the added weight was by design to handle a larger role in 2022 and some of it is just getting a little older.
What Pollard has delivered is explosive runs. He had a 58-yard touchdown last season against the New Orleans Saints. He had a 57-yarder for a score this season against the Los Angeles Rams. He has had runs of 46, 28 and 25 yards.
“I mean his acceleration, his burst, it’s very rare that a player has an ability like that,” left tackle Tyler Smith said. “When he gets in space, like, there’s no telling what he can do. That’s amazing to see for sure.”
Yet coach Mike McCarthy said Pollard’s running between the tackles is a strength.
“He's in the crease as it opens, and I think that's a huge characteristic I've always looked for when you're evaluating running backs,” McCarthy said. “So his ability to accelerate the crease, I think he does an excellent job of it, so I would definitely classify him as an excellent between-the-tackles runner.”
Elliott’s running style wears on defenses as games go along. Pollard’s style is more change of pace. But All-Pro right guard Zack Martin said nothing changes for the offensive line, no matter who is running the ball.
“You may notice who is in there in the huddle, but for the most part when we hear a play, it’s not like ‘Oh, Tony’s run this one or Zeke is running this one, I’ve got to block it different,” Martin said. “It really makes no difference to us.”
If there’s a major advantage Elliott has on Pollard it is his ability to protect the passer. Pollard has had a few miscues this season in blitz pickups. That comes under greater scrutiny with quarterback Dak Prescott playing in his second straight game since right thumb surgery.
“Really, at the end of the day, it’s about being on the same page with the offensive linemen and making sure that we’re not putting those backs in pass protection in a bind and putting them on a big guy or a guy that they shouldn’t be on,” Prescott said. “Knowing my [hot reads], knowing my adjustments and just ways to get the ball out of my hands to not only help the back but to help the guys up front.”
Should Elliott not play Sunday, Pollard’s stint as RB1 could be one game, but it’s one game to prove himself to those who have wondered if he can handle the job. He says the questioning doesn’t annoy him, but he offers up a knowing smile.
“I mean, I’m always trying to go out there and show what I can do, prove myself right, prove others wrong,” Pollard said, “and just play team ball.”