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- Mar 19, 2019
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If every player under contract to the two teams were on hand, Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and Giants would showcase the NFL’s two leading rushers from 2019.
With every passing day, it becomes more likely that Giants running back Saquon Barkley will be the only one there. Ezekiel Elliott‘s holdout continues and there may not be a resolution in time for Elliott to open the season against Dallas’ NFC East rivals.
Giants head coach Pat Shurmur is keeping an eye on the situation and said the Giants are “getting ready for [Elliott] to be there,” but downplayed how much the game plan would change if he isn’t in the lineup. He also said rookie Tony Pollard has made a strong impression on the team at various points in the calendar.
“He’s had an impact as a rookie,” Shurmur said at Monday’s press conference. “We actually liked him during the draft. We had him on our board in a prominent position. But he’s done a good job. He’s fast. He has really good instincts. He has good collision balance. He can catch the ball. He’s got what you’re looking for in a runner. It appears from what I’ve seen on tape and from what they’re saying that they’re really fond of what he’s done so far.”
Pollard has looked good this summer and, as Shurmur noted, the Cowboys have done all they can to publicly state their confidence in his ability. One would still imagine that the Giants would be OK without having to tangle with Elliott this weekend.