Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Cowboys running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard were quite the load for the LA Rams.
[Each week we will look back at the game to focus on a single position group and how they performed. Whether it’s high-praise for the Cowboys biggest contributors to another victory formation, or the scapegoats for any potential losses, we’ll spotlight one personnel grouping for review.]
Without question, the Cowboys 44-21 win over the Rams would not have been possible without a phenomenal day on the ground. The Cowboys ran over the Rams to the tune of 260 yards and flipped the script from last year’s playoff loss in Los Angeles. It was the second game this season that both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard each rushed for over 100 yards in the same game.
| NAME | RUSH YD | ATT | YD/ATT | TD | 1ST DN | BRK/TCKL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EZEKIEL ELLIOTT | 117 | 24 | 4.9 | 2 | 10 | 7 |
| TONY POLLARD | 131 | 12 | 10.9 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| DAK PRESCOTT | 12 | 7 | 1.7 | - | 2 | 0 |
Ezekiel Elliott
There is a great line from Al Pacino in Oceans 13: “When I move, I slice, and I slice like a damn hammer!”
That reminded me of the way Elliott ran in this game, like tossing a hammer at drywall. The holes are going to be devastating and you can’t predict the size of the entry wound. Elliott was slicing through the Rams’ defensive line and it didn’t matter whether he was taken head on, he was still making large gains.
This just in:
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) December 15, 2019
Ezekiel Elliott is a grown man that makes other grown men look silly when they try to arm tackle him.
Ezekiel Elliott ran with power, precision, and patience, the three P’s. Check out this clip of his best runs in this game and look for three things:
- The offensive line was incredible in just about every assignment
- Elliott’s vision was on point as he does a nice job of taking the play away from LA’s best defenders
- Each run was deliberate and Elliott made each run important
Ezekiel Elliott's big plays vs LAR. pic.twitter.com/EIyjTRuIav
— All22Hype (@All22Hype) December 16, 2019
Elliott had a full workload of 24 carries but it didn’t seem like such a huge day because in many ways it seemed effortless. Make no mistake, there was a ton of effort being put in by the blockers and the runners. When everyone does their job well, this is the result. It makes the touchdowns that much sweeter. To which, Ezekiel Elliott had two dogwalks as Brad Sham would say.
Zeke's second TD of the half!
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2019
Four straight TD drives for the @DallasCowboys. @EzekielElliott #DallasCowboys
: #LARvsDAL on FOX
: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/ALWDCpltog pic.twitter.com/QjPN9RRHDr
Tony Pollard
When you have a hammer in Ezekiel Elliott softening up the defense, it makes them extremely susceptible to a change of pace weapon like Tony Pollard. On this run, you can see that a lot of guys want to make this tackle but they are completely caught off guard with how slippery Pollard actually is:
My goodness, Tony Pollard. pic.twitter.com/MAxqjGX5Ox
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) December 17, 2019
Starting out with his 44-yard touchdown run, this is the full slate of impact made by Tony Pollard.
Tony Pollard's big plays vs LAR. pic.twitter.com/NivjPFmAo9
— All22Hype (@All22Hype) December 16, 2019
The Rams defense were left with their tongues hanging in this game. Tony Pollard brought a whole new definition to efficiency in the run game.
Per PFF, Tony Pollard finished with 124 yards after contact. He had 131 total rushing yards. Averaged an absurd 10.33 yards after contact per attempt. #Cowboys https://t.co/v5SY2BEs74
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) December 16, 2019
In a game that the Cowboys were pretty much counted out by everyone, they went out and asserted their dominance. If the Cowboys are going to make a comeback, they need all hands on deck. Their identity is built out of their offensive line and a dominant running game. It also might be their ticket to making some noise in the playoffs if they can take care of business in their division. What was so impressive about this game against the Rams is that the Cowboys didn’t need their wide receivers to make things happen. They attacked the air with their tight ends and running backs. They bullied the Rams on the ground with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
Yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys became the 1st team in the last 10 seasons to have multiple rushers (Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard) gain 70+ yards after contact in the same game. pic.twitter.com/PLbbBvDtLP
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 16, 2019
The Cowboys found balance despite having little impact from their receivers and maybe that will bode well for their chances at making a comeback. The more ways your team can win, the better off they will be. After a few rough weeks, the Cowboys’ run game finally found it’s footing against the Rams. If Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard can continue to be a spark for this team, they will be a hard team to beat.
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