Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had jokes. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett was slightly more serious in his assessment of the ability of rookie running back Tony Pollard to handle the job in the absence of Ezekiel Elliott.
“I thought he did a good job running the football,” Garrett told reporters after Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams in Hawaii. “When you’re playing against [Rams defensive coordinator] Wade Phillips, he’s going to do everything he can to stop the run on early downs. It was going to be tough sledding for us, but I do think we found some creases there early on. Obviously, the touchdown run was big for us.”
The rookie from Memphis had 42 yards on five carries against the Rams, including a solid 14-yard touchdown that capped a 97-yard drive.
“Tony is very poised,” said Garrett, who enters the final year of his contract with no guarantee that he’ll get another. “He plays with maturity beyond his years and we’re only a couple of preseason games into it and not a lot of plays into. It kind of follows with what we’ve seen in practice and just how he handles himself. So, again he’s off to a good start. He’s got a long way to go, but he’s going about it the right way.”
Pollard may be the best option the Cowboys have, until Elliott shows up. And with Jerry rattling off lines like “Zeke who?,” Elliott likely won’t soften a stance that mirrors the best line from Goodfellas.