All week long leading up to kickoff, Pollard fielded questions from the media about whether he could carry the bulk of the Cowboys’ rushing load for a full game in place of an injured Ezekiel Elliott.
Pollard gave the first part of his answer on Wednesday, telling reporters, “They call it, I’m going to haul it.”
He punctuated that reply on Sunday, and it was an exclamation point.
Pollard’s 14 rushing attempts tied his career high, as did the 131 rushing yards he accumulated over the course of the Cowboys’ 49-29 dismantling of the Bears. At the conclusion of the Sunday slate of games, his 9.4 yards-per-carry average led all NFL rushers for Week 8.
Tony Pollard: 9.4 yards per carry in Week 8
Most among all rushers 👀 pic.twitter.com/LmUgFPJECN
— PFF (@PFF) October 31, 2022
Afterward, Pollard was his usual understated self in summing up his day.
“I would say I had a pretty good performance.”
While the outside world seemed to treat Pollard’s three-touchdown afternoon- something not even Ezekiel Elliott has done- as some sort of unexpected coming-out party, his teammates and bosses weren’t shocked in the least.
“Tony is extremely confident,” said head coach Mike McCarthy. “That’s been my experience since I arrived here. He doesn’t blink. He works the same every day, practices hard. He’s an extremely consistent player and person.”
“It didn’t surprise me a bit,” added receiver CeeDee Lamb. “He knew he had a bigger role in this game, understanding that he’s going to have a lot more carries than normal.”
“I’ve never seen him tired,” owner Jerry Jones offered after the win.
“He did a great job. Nothing that we didn’t expect,” said guard Zack Martin. “He’s been great for us all year, so when his number is called, we know it’s big-play potential at any time.”
Pollard actually saved his biggest play for last, breaking off a 54-yard touchdown run on his 14th and final carry of the game.
It’s @Tp__5‘s world and we’re just livin’ in it 🤷♂️
📺: @NFLonFOX | #CHIvsDAL pic.twitter.com/p0BdbYT06c
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 30, 2022
The first Cowboys player to congratulate him on the sideline? Elliott, the man whose starting slot Pollard took for the week.
Pollard now ranks 14th in the NFL in rushing yards, seven spots and 63 yards ahead of Elliott (on 28 fewer carries). So with the 6-2 Cowboys now on a bye week, expect plenty of chatter about a running back controversy in…
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