Mike McCarthy addresses using Tony Pollard differently in 2022, changing offensive NFL schemes

Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy wants to get running back Tony Pollard more involved in 2022. Pollard is coming off of his best season in the NFL this past year after rushing for 719 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Now set to enter his fourth season in the pros, the running back has a chance to boost his value entering the final year of his rookie contract. Pollard will still have to play behind Ezekiel Elliott, but it’s clear the Cowboys want to get him more touches.

“To me, it really comes down to expansion of job responsibility,” McCarthy said. “Where he plays and how he plays, that’s all part of the game and the design of it, but it’s just really expanding his opportunity to touch the football.”

One way for Mike McCarthy to increase Tony Pollard’s opportunities could be through the passing game. The running back also set career highs in receptions (39) and receiving yards (337) this past season and played receiver in college at Memphis. Throw in the fact that the Cowboys lost Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper via trade this offseason, and there is certainly a void to be filled at receiver.

Reporters pointed to the way the 49ers used Deebo Samuel in a running back/receiver hybrid role this past season and how Cordarrelle Patterson has been used for years. McCarthy said he could see Pollard in a similar role for Dallas next season.

“We do studies all over the league and it’s amazing,” the coach said. “Kudos to (Pro Football Focus). The ability to grab ahold of those concepts and the instant availability is so much better than it was 10 or 15 years ago. …So you’re always looking at new concepts and it’s not about as much having new plays, it’s really the variations of your concepts. This league is so much about trying to stay in front of the curve. You can’t just line up and do the same things over and over. You gotta protect yourself with just the volume of that too. You can go nuts with it. Too much information can also dilute the opportunity for the players to play.”

Coming off of a 12-5 finish this past season and exit in the wild card round of the playoffs, Dallas has its sights set higher in 2022. The offense once again looks to be a top 10 unit in the NFL, and Pollard will play a big part of that no matter where he lines up. We may get to see some of the ways McCarthy and the coaching staff experiment with him in the preseason, with Dallas’ first contest scheduled for Aug. 13 against Denver.