5 running backs on the Eagles schedule that could give their defense fits

The Eagles’ defense is hoping they can keep Tony Pollard under 100 yards rushing yards again.

When Philadelphia takes on the Dallas Cowboys this season, a long-time Eagles nemesis won’t be on the enemy’s sideline. Ezekiel Elliott is a Cowboy no more. That means the starter’s role now belongs to Tony Pollard.

A Pro Bowler in 2022, Pollard has definitely earned the promotion. He notched 1,007 rushing yards last year. He also added nine touchdowns to his resume. A case can be made stating, if he didn’t suffer an injury during the Divisional Round during Dallas’s game versus the San Francisco 49ers, it could have been highly possible that the Eagles could have wound up hosting the Cowboys in the NFC Championship game.

Like Kenneth Gainwell, Pollard is a product of the Memphis Tigers program, and Tony enjoyed three games last season in which he eclipsed the 100-yard threshold. Fortunately, neither of those performances came versus Philadelphia.

Instead, he ran for a combined 63 yards during those two contests. Then again, he only carried the ball 20 times. As new the star of the Cowboys’ rushing attack, everyone should expect to see him tote the ball more often, especially if Dallas wants to slow down what has become a powerful Eagles offense.