The San Francisco 49ers will take on the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Wild Card matchup on Sunday afternoon. The contest will feature two offenses filled with dynamic playmakers and should deliver plenty of excitement.
Kyle Shanahan has spent the last week familiarizing himself with the offensive weapons on the Cowboys. Dallas has plenty to offer in that department, but one player in particular stood out to the Niners head coach.
After watching the tape, Shanahan said that he found himself unexpectedly impressed with running back Tony Pollard. He explained that he knew about the Cowboys second ballcarrier, but that he was unaware of just how good he has become.
“I heard about him, but I didn’t know he was this good. He’s a hard-nosed runner with home run speed,” Shanhan said, via ESPN’s Ed Werder.
The #Cowboys player who most unexpectedly impressed #Niners coach Kyle Shanahan on tape — Tony Pollard. “I heard about him, but I didn’t know he was this good. He’s a hard-nosed runner with home run speed.” Pollard led NFL RB in average per carry. Fully healthy today.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) January 16, 2022
When healthy, Pollard was an explosive presence for the Cowboys during the regular season. He led the league by averaging 5.5 yards per carry and gave Dallas a speedster to pair alongside Ezekiel Elliott out of the backfield.
In 15 games this year, Pollard rushed 130 times for 719 yards and two touchdowns. He added 39 catches for 337 yards.
Pollard has been battling a foot injury that kept him out of the Cowboys Week 18 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas sat him as a precaution and he’s expected to be a full-go on Sunday against the Niners.
Pollard the rest of the Cowboys offense will need to put points on the board if Dallas hopes to come out on top against a stingy San Francisco defense. Shanahan will have to do his best at preventing the speedy running back from doing so.
The NFC Wild Card matchup between the Cowboys and the 49ers will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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