Tony Pollard feels like he’s been there before. So after Cowboys rookie fullback Hunter Luepke botched a handoff exchange from Dak Prescott on the doorstep of an opening-drive touchdown in Week 16 versus Miami, the fifth-year back explained that he was able to offer some words of encouragement.
“Just telling him to be positive, don’t let it hang in his head too long, don’t get down on it or anything like that,” Pollard explained to reporters this week at The Star.
The same could be said for the entire Cowboys squad after the last-second loss to the Dolphins, their second defeat in a row and their last chance before the playoffs to silence the skeptics who believe the team is incapable of beating a contender on the road.
Now Dallas is suddenly desperate just to get back in the win column and avoid a three-game skid.
“This is important just to get the momentum going back in the right direction,” according to Pollard, “get on track, and get things going right how we want to go.”
Luepke’s turnover indeed changed the complexion of the game but Pollard knows things could have gone much differently in more ways than one.
“Personally, I didn’t feel like he was to blame at all,” he said. “I feel like I should have gotten in the play before. That situation never would have happened. So I take blame for that.”
Ridiculous effort by DeShon Elliott to prevent a TD right before the fumble
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Pollard did appear to have an easy two-yard jog to the end zone, but he inexplicably tried to cut inside rather than test Miami safety DeShon Elliott with a race to the pylon. Elliott reached out and grabbed Pollard, tight end Jake Ferguson got in the way, and Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Seiler finished off the tackle, bringing Pollard to the grass.
Pollard’s body from the waist down landed in the end zone, but his upper half- the half holding the ball- never crossed the goal line.
The Cowboys lined up again, Luepke lost the handle, and Miami took over.
“I could have just kept running to the outside,” Pollard reflected. “I was trying to get to the end zone as soon as possible. I didn’t want to waste time stretching it out. Then I ended up bumping into my own guy and got spinned around. You live and you learn.”
Yall help me with this one please. pic.twitter.com/53zGXkr1yA
— Stephen Mac (@Stephen_Mac03)
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