The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of motivation for Sunday’s meeting with the San Francisco 49ers after falling out of the playoffs against them each of the last two seasons.
Cowboys running back Tony Pollard has plenty of fuel for his own fire after his “frustrating” exit changed the complexion of last season’s contest. Now Dallas’ sole feature back this season after Ezekiel Elliott’s departure, Pollard could be a key difference-maker in the teams’ latest showdown.
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Tony Pollard ‘Hurt’ by Abrupt Exit in Last Meeting
With just under 1:40 left in the first half of Dallas’ Divisional Round showdown with San Francisco last season, the game was tied at 6-6, and the Cowboys looked well-positioned to take the lead deep in 49ers territory.
Dak Prescott dropped back for a first-down pass play from the 26-yard line and connected with Pollard over the middle of the field. He turned to run for more yardage and was tackled awkwardly by 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward, suffering what was later revealed to be a broken leg and a high ankle sprain.
The injury not only sidelined Pollard for the remainder of the contest but also shifted the momentum of a promising drive as Prescott threw an interception the very next play.
San Francisco then hit a field goal late in the quarter to lead 9-6 at the half of an eventual 19-12 victory.
“It was frustrating,” Pollard said. “Especially when I got hurt, we were in the red zone about to score, driving the ball. We had a good drive going, and then that kind of killed the momentum. I felt like I kind of let my team down. It hurt.”
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Had Pollard remained healthy and played the rest of the game, perhaps Dallas would have found a way to win and continued its playoff run. He and Elliott tied for a team-high 12 touchdowns in the regular season as Pollard led the team in rushing yards and was a capable pass-catching option out of the backfield, too.
Pollard finished with six carries for 22 yards, along with two catches for 11 yards on a day where Dallas’ offense struggled to produce many points.
After his injury, the Cowboys and Pollard were left only with the painful thoughts of what could have been.
“You’re so invested, you have so much invested into the season,” Pollard said. “You know you have goals, and you know who you want to be. It hurts once you get it cut short like that.”
Challenge of 49ers’ Defensive Front Awaits
Coming off that disappointing result a season ago, Dallas hopes to turn the tide this time around and make an early statement of its status in the league.
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Pollard could certainly be key in that regard as a focal point of the Cowboys’ offense. He has tallied 73 carries for 311 yards and two touchdowns, alongside 15 catches for 61 yards through the first four games of the season. His rushing total alone outpaces any other Dallas playmaker’s yardage total thus far.
Keeping Pollard heavily involved will be crucial yet challenging, given San Francisco’s prowess up front.
The 49ers’ defensive line is one of the top units in the league, led by star Nick Bosa next to Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead, among others. Needless to say, minimizing the group’s success will be key to Dallas’ chances at a win this week.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Pollard said. “These first four games, we’ve been going against some pretty good, stout D-lines so far. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”