Less than 24 hours before the Dallas Cowboys face the Philadelphia Eagles in the first of two barometer games within the division.
Many were describing the Cowboys’ matchup against San Francisco (I was a part of that noise, by the way) as the test for Dallas.
I’m ready to concede that this matchup will tell us more about America’s Team.
If you leave it to fans, a lack of impartiality will continue to be the problem for these rivals.
As major and local media outlets continue their discussion of position groups, the apparent compare and contrast will start with the quarterbacks – Dak Prescott vs. Jalen Hurts.
That’s low-hanging fruit from a subject standpoint that I’ll stay clear of.
The running backs are a different conversation. The headliners are Tony Pollard and D’andre Swift. Who will have the better game for their team to come out on top?
Let’s debate.
Tony Pollard has yet to regain his stride yet this season
It took four long years for Running back Tony Pollard to become the head honcho in the Dallas Cowboys backfield.
He split carries in 2022 with Ezekiel Elliott, and now he is the man.
It hasn’t always been pretty, but he is still a respected weapon for Philadelphia to game plan for.
The same can be said for D’Andre Swift. The start of his career with Detroit was more about running back by committee. He shared his rookie season with Adrian Peterson and the following two with Jamal Williams.
Both Swift and Pollard were characterized as change of pace backs than full time, 20 carries per game type of players.
Oh, how a promotion and a trade could change the fortunes for both guys. So, now, how do these players stack up against one another?
D’Andre currently racked up 571 rushing yards with a 4.9 yard per carry. Not to mention, he hauled in 28 receptions on the year.
Seeing Derrick Henry’s name on the list serves as a reminder that Jerry/Stephen preferred to sit on their hands or in the unshakeable trust they have in Tony.
Tony isn’t too far behind with 423 rushing yards and a 3.9 yard per carry.
If you’re not a fan of Pro Football Focus, it’s probably that time to stop reading.
The analytics double down that Swift is having a better season than Pollard. One has a 76-rushing grade versus a 65 grade. The other concerning item that weighs in Swift’s favor is the forced missed tackles, according to PFF.
22 compared to 8 by the former Memphis wide receiver turned running back.
That’s a big deal, at least in my humble opinion. It could potentially be a problem Dallas has to solve.
Let’s stop beating around the bush – Who is going to be the belle of the ball Sunday?
Honestly, objective people would probably choose D’Andre Swift, but let’s make the point.
Philly’s offensive line is good. More specifically, their tackles (Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata) are ranked 9th and 1st at their respective positions.
The offensive play caller loves to run Swift on inside/outside zone plays. So much so it’s the majority of his run types (85 of 117).
Dallas is going to get a full helping of it.
On the other side, Dallas’ offensive line is equally good but unhealthy. Tyron Smith’s neck is still a concern, not to mention he didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday, which isn’t a good sign.
Tony will have to run against the strength of Philly’s defense which is run defense. Jordan Davis, Fletcher Cox, Jalen Carter, and Milton Williams are legit.
The Cowboys’ forte is their pass rush, which is potent but doesn’t necessarily negate the run.
The hope is Pollard decides to have his best game of the year in Philadelphia. I’m not down on Tony at all. He’ll just have some hurdles previously mentioned above to get over.
If that happens (and I hope it does), he will outplay Swift and propel his team to a victory.
My objective side says that Swift will play off Jalen Hurts and use the zone run plays to be effective and give the Dallas Cowboys defense fits.
It sickens me to say this, and I hope I’m wrong: I give the edge to D’Andre Swift in this game.
