Pollard carried the ball seven times for 19 yards and failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 26-6 loss to the Commanders.
Analysis: The Cowboys' offense completely failed to show up in the regular-season finale, and Pollard's meager rushing yard total actually tied Malik Davis for the team lead. Pollard finishes the regular season with a career-high 1,378 scrimmaging yards and 12 total TDs, and with Dak Prescott still struggling with interceptions, Dallas could lean heavily on their running game in the wild-card round against Tampa Bay.
Jan 8, 2023 8:24 PM EST
Pollard (thigh) practiced in full Wednesday, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Analysis: Pollard was held out of practice before sitting out last Thursday's game at Tennessee as he dealt with a thigh injury. With his return to all activity in the first session of Week 18 prep, the fourth-year pro is past the health concern as the Cowboys turn their focus toward Sunday's matchup with the Commanders. With the NFC East title and No. 1 seed in the NFC still in the line, Dallas likely will roll with all its regulars this weekend, and if so Pollard would be poised for his roughly 15 touches per game.
Jan 4, 2023 1:13 PM EST
Head coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that Pollard (thigh) will practice Wednesday, Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' official site reports.
Analysis: Pollard was sidelined for last Thursday's win over Tennessee, but it appears he's trending in the right direction ahead of Week 18 prep. Fantasy managers will likely have to monitor Pollard's participation in practice this week closely, but a decision on the running back's availability against Washington may not come until Sunday.
Jan 2, 2023 1:43 PM EST
Pollard (thigh) is listed as inactive Thursday at Tennessee, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Analysis: With a short week to prepare between last Saturday's win against the Eagles and Thursday's game, Pollard's inability to practice Monday through Wednesday put him behind the eight ball to be available for Week 17. He began trending toward his first absence of the season after Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported earlier Thursday that the Cowboys were likely to hold out the fourth-year pro, and indeed that has come to pass. As a result, Ezekiel Elliott is in line to handle a healthy share of Dallas' backfield reps, while Malik Davis and potentially practice-squad call-up Qadree Ollison will spell Elliott, especially if the game gets out of hand against a reeling and short-handed Titans squad. Pollard will turn his focus to getting healthier for a Week 18 road matchup with the Commanders.
Dec 29, 2022 3:48 PM EST
Pollard (thigh) remains listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Titans, but the Cowboys plan to make him inactive for the Week 17 contest, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported earlier Thursday that Pollard could be an option to play against the Titans if he fared better than anticipated in a pregame workout, but the Cowboys have apparently already decided to err on the side of caution and will ultimately hold the running back out for the first time this season. He won't be officially ruled out for the contest until the Cowboys release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but Pollard's anticipated absence leaves Ezekiel Elliott as the clear-cut top option out of the backfield. Given that the Cowboys are heavy road favorites for a game in which the Titans are resting or holding out several key players due to injury, it's possible that Elliott ends up seeing a lighter workload in his own right if Dallas turns the game into a blowout by halftime or the third quarter. In that scenario, No. 2 back Malik Davis would be in store for a pronounced role behind Elliott.
Dec 29, 2022 9:58 AM EST
Pollard (thigh), who is officially listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Titans, will have to prove his health in pre-game workouts to avoid being inactive, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Pollard's status may thus not be made official until Dallas' inactives are released prior to Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, presenting a difficult situation for fantasy managers. Team owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that Pollard "looks good for the game," but the explosive running back wasn't able to practice in any capacity Monday through Wednesday due to a thigh issue. If Pollard ultimately can't go Thursday, Ezekiel Elliott could be in line for an increased role while alone atop the Cowboys' backfield depth chart.
Dec 29, 2022 6:44 AM EST
Pollard (thigh) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game at Tennessee, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Despite being listed as a non-participant on all three practice reports this week due to a thigh issue, Pollard does have some positivity surrounding his status for Week 17 action. On Tuesday, Jerry Jones relayed that Pollard "looks good for the game (Thursday)," and the team is "counting on him playing," according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. Ultimately, the Cowboys' list of inactives will become known about 90 minutes before Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, at which point Pollard's availability, or lack thereof, will be confirmed. If he's able to gut through the injury, he again will serve in a timeshare with Ezekiel Elliott out of Dallas' backfield.
Dec 28, 2022 1:28 PM EST
Pollard (thigh) was a non-participant in Tuesday's practice, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Analysis: According to Gehlken, head coach Mike McCarthy said prior to Tuesday's practice that Pollard would be included in what was expected to be a light workout, but the running back wasn't spotted during the open portion of the session and apparently didn't fit in any work behind the scenes either. With two straight listings as a non-participant on the Cowboys' first two Week 17 practice reports, Pollard may need to advance to limited activity Wednesday to keep himself in the mix for playing Thursday against the Titans. If Pollard misses the contest or is available only in a limited capacity, Ezekiel Elliott could be in store for a heightened role in the Dallas backfield.
Dec 27, 2022 1:20 PM EST
Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that Pollard (thigh) "looks good for the game" against the Titans on Thursday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Pollard was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated injury report due to a thigh issue, but Jones said "we're counting on him playing." Those comments offer optimism that Pollard's lack of activity Monday may have been related to rest or maintenance, rather than an injury sustained during Sunday's 40-34 win over the Eagles, a game in which Pollard carried the ball nine times for 19 yards and secured six of eight targets for 61 yards. Tuesday's practice report will provide a further update on Pollard's health.
Dec 27, 2022 7:18 AM EST
Pollard (thigh) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice estimate, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Pollard's appearance on the Cowboys' initial injury report this week makes his status worth tracking ahead of Thursday's night's game against the Titans. That said, per the Cowboys' official site, coach Mike McCarthy noted Monday that the team didn't suffer additional injuries of any significance during Saturday's win over the Eagles, which suggests that Pollard's 'DNP' listing could potentially be maintenance or rest related.
Dec 26, 2022 3:41 PM EST
Pollard rushed nine times for 19 yards and secured six of eight targets for 61 yards in the Cowboys' 40-34 win over the Eagles on Saturday.
Analysis: Pollard made up for his ragged day on the ground with a productive effort through the air, checking in second in receptions, receiving yards and targets. Pollard's reception total tied his season high and his yardage tally served as his second highest of the campaign. The versatile back served as a clear complementary option to Ezekiel Elliott, who recorded 16 carries, but it remains to be seen if the same arrangement will hold in a Week 17 road matchup against the Titans on Thursday night.
Dec 24, 2022 5:46 PM EST
Pollard rushed the ball 19 times for 75 yards in Sunday's 40-34 loss to the Jaguars. He added four receptions on five targets for 31 yards.
Analysis: Pollard paced the Dallas backfield in carries, total touches and yards. He turned in an uncharacteristically inefficient performance, as he managed only three total touches that went for double-digit gains. Even so, Pollard has topped 100 total yards in four of his last six games, while also finding the end zone seven times in that span.
Dec 18, 2022 3:31 PM EST
Pollard rushed the ball 10 times for 42 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-23 win over the Texans. He added four receptions on five targets for 20 yards and an additional score.
Analysis: Pollard didn't show his typical hyper-efficient ways -- at least in terms of big plays -- but he still found the end zone twice. His first score came on an 11-yard rush around the right end early in the opening quarter. Next, he took a swing pass out of the backfield for a 10-yard receiving score to put the Cowboys up 14-10. The team continues to limit Pollard's touches in a shared backfield with Ezekiel Elliott, but Pollard has scored six touchdowns across his last four games.
Dec 11, 2022 2:28 PM EST
Pollard rushed 12 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns while catching two of three targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 54-19 win over Indianapolis.
Analysis: Dallas' rushing attack did the heavy lifting in this blowout win, producing two strong fantasy lines from Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott (17/71/1). The more-explosive of the duo finished with the finer performance this week, bumping his yards per carry average up to 5.8 in the process. Pollard has now combined for 1,111 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns through 12 games, rewarding those that believed in the preseason hype surrounding the fourth-year back. The lowly Texans are on tap for the Cowboys on Sunday, putting Pollard in a prime position to produce another monster fantasy game.
Dec 4, 2022 10:16 PM EST
Pollard carried the ball 18 times for 60 yards and caught both his targets for only one yard in Thursday's 28-20 win over the Giants.
Analysis: For the first time since Week 6, Pollard saw Ezekiel Elliott gain more yards than him, but the duo were still both productive in the comeback victory. Pollard still saw his streak of games with 100-plus scrimmage yards end at four, but he remains a big-play threat every time he touches the ball. He'll look to bounce back in a Week 13 clash with the Colts.
Nov 24, 2022 5:43 PM EST
Pollard rushed 15 times for 80 yards and caught all six of his targets for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 40-3 win over the Vikings.
Analysis: Ezekiel Elliott (knee) returned from a two-game absence and split carries evenly with Pollard. The latter was expected to remain heavily involved offensively after dominating in the veteran starter's absence, and the team stayed true to its word leading up to this decisive victory. The lone blemish on this standout performance was Pollard's inability to punch in two attempts from the goal line, leading to Elliott relieving him and finishing the job. That scenario highlights the difference in the two back's playstyles, justifying even split in usage despite Pollard's superior rushing efficiency this season. The 25-year-old will look to stay white hot heading into a matchup against the Giants on Thanksgiving.
Nov 20, 2022 5:51 PM EST
Pollard is expected to get the bigger share of the touches in the Cowboys backfield Sunday at Minnesota, even with Ezekiel Elliott (knee) returning from a two-game absence, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Pollard paced Dallas' ground game in place of Elliott during that span, racking up 40 touches for 275 yards from scrimmage and four rushing TDs. When Elliott was active for the first seven contests of the season, Pollard averaged a shade over 10 touches per game, but the team is slated to ease the former back into the lineup, meaning the latter is poised for another outing as the Cowboys' lead runner.
Nov 20, 2022 7:59 AM EST
Pollard rushed 22 times for 115 yards and a touchdown while catching three of six targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 31-28 overtime loss to Green Bay.
Analysis: Pollard served as the Cowboys' lead back in place of Ezekiel Elliott (knee) for the second week in a row, and he looked the part with another 100-plus yard rushing game. The 25-year-old wasn't able to replicate last week's three-score game, but he did make one trip to the end zone to bring his season total up to six. Elliott was listed as questionable for this game, so the veteran could return soon and cut into Pollard's recent surge in usage. Starting or not, Pollard presents enough upside as a home-run threat to warrant starting against the Vikings next Sunday.
Nov 13, 2022 6:00 PM EST
Pollard will once again serve as the Cowboys' No. 1 running back in Sunday's Week 10 clash against the Packers with Ezekiel Elliott (knee) declared inactive for the contest, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Pollard parlayed such an opportunity into 131 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries against the Bears in Week 8, and he'll have the added benefit Sunday of coming into his second straight assignment as the lead back well-rested off the Week 9 bye. The matchup against the Packers defense shapes up about as appealing as that against Chicago, as Green Bay has surrendered an NFC-high 175.3 rushing yards per home game.
Nov 13, 2022 12:08 PM EST
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy suggested Pollard will likely remain the team's top running back Sunday against the Packers with Ezekiel Elliott (knee) listed as questionable but seemingly not expected to play, Ed Werder of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Though both team owner Jerry Jones and Pollard indicated earlier in the week that they anticipated Elliott returning from a one-game absence Sunday, the news pertaining to Elliott's status has become more negative in recent days. Even if Elliott is cleared to return from his hyperextended knee, he may have a smaller role than usual Sunday, which seemingly sets up Pollard to retain the high-volume role he enjoyed in a Week 8 win over the Bears. In that 49-29 victory, Pollard carried 14 times for 131 yards and three touchdowns while turning his lone target into a 16-yard reception.
Nov 13, 2022 10:07 AM EST
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