Dallas Cowboys: Studs and duds from wild win over 49ers
By Randy Gurzi
Stud: Tony Pollard
Scored the first touchdown of the game, following the fumble on the punt return by San Francisco. On that drive, Pollard got all five touches and capped things off with a one-yard touchdown run. On the drive, he proved he can catch the ball and make players miss while also showing he could go up the middle in a crowded box as well on the one-yard run.
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After the first drive, Dallas seemed to go away from Pollard as they were heavy with the passing game. It was up and down, but then when things got close at the end, Pollard got the ball again and he delivered in a big way.
With roughly 2:30 minutes to go, Pollard took a handoff 40-yards to the house to put the Cowboys on top by 10. Pollard finished with 69 yards on 12 carries and 63 yards on six receptions with two touchdowns. Not a bad game at all, but it makes you wonder why this staff refuses to get him involved more while Ezekiel Elliott is healthy.
Dud: Noah Brown
This one could just as easily be Andy Dalton because he continued to throw to Noah Brown time and again in big situations — and nearly every time, those throws ended with the pass hitting the ground.
More than once, Dalton went to Brown on third downs including in the fourth quarter following a pick from Donovan Wilson. While Michael Gallup was out hurt at this point, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb were each still on the field and Lamb had already made a couple of big catches on third down.