Cowboys RB Tony Pollard mitigating questions about heavier workload

Although concerns about Tony Pollard's ability to handle a heavier workload lingered before the season, the Dallas Cowboys running back proved they were overstated.

Per Garrett Podell of CBS Sports, Pollard is tied with San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey for the most touches (48) by an RB through two games. He's remained productive, rushing for the 10th-most yards (142) in the NFL on 39 carries.

In a 30-10 victory against the New York Jets, Pollard logged a career-high 25 rushing attempts for 72 yards and indicated he still feels fresh heading into Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals.

"Yeah, I mean, I've been saying this for a long time now. Whatever they call, I got it," Pollard said in a Wednesday news conference. "So I feel like that was a great example of it."

The only red flag is his yards per carry, which has dropped from 5.2 last season to 3.6 this season. This doesn't really imply a regression though, because Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy, who assumed playcalling this offseason, emphasizes shorter runs to tire defenses out.

"You beat them up: one or two yards [a carry] in the first quarter, two or three in the second quarter, three or four in the fourth quarter, or four or five, and then you bust the door open," McCarthy recently said, via Podell.
 
Regardless, Pollard will eventually show the explosiveness that makes him an elite playmaker. Expect a big performance against the Cardinals, as their defense surrenders 113.5 rushing yards per game.
 
The 26-year-old must demonstrate durability for the Cowboys. After an impressive 2-0 start, Dallas has a strong chance to end a 28-year championship drought. To break it, it needs stars like Pollard to thrive.