Rico Dowdle solid in backup role behind Tony Pollard

The Dallas Cowboys started backups at two key positions in their preseason debut at the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday. Dak Prescott was sidelined with an injury, so Garrett Gilbert got the start at quarterback. Meanwhile, Ezekiel Elliott dressed but did not play and so Tony Pollard got the start at running back.

With Pollard getting the start, that meant more snaps for Rico Dowdle. Last season, Dowdle earned the third string role behind Elliott and Pollard as a rookie. This year, there is some buzz around him and he impressed in his debut. The snap count isn’t out yet, but he led the Cowboys with eight rushes for 43 yards and added two catches for 16 yards.

Pollard did not get a ton of work, so Dowdle came into the game early enough to face some decent talent. The next couple weeks will tell us more however as Ezekiel Elliott potentially sees preseason work. Dowdle will not be a fantasy factor this season outside of the deepest leagues unless there are injuries to Elliott and/or Pollard. The next couple weeks we’ll see if he can push Pollard, and if Elliott plays, how much he can even push him for some complementary work.