5 sneaky threats Commanders should worry about vs. Cowboys in Week 18
By James Dudko
Commanders need to tackle in numbers vs. Rico Dowdle
Tony Pollard is the leader of the Dallas Cowboys' ground attack, but Rico Dowdle is a useful supporting act. He's returned from an ankle injury this week, according to Pro Football Talk's Charean WillIams, so Mike McCarthy's offense will have a power complement to the RB1's quickness.
Dowdle's readiness was made obvious by his presence practicing jump cuts alongside Pollard, per Cowboys team reporter Nicole Hutchison.
RB’s Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle working on jump cut drills #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/1NdrzHg5Tb
— Nicole Hutchison (@nhutchisontv) January 4, 2024
No. 23 can move the pile and punish would-be tacklers, so the Washington Commanders need to get to Dowdle in numbers. Swarming around the 25-year-old will limit his effectiveness between the tackles and make the Dallas running game predictable.
Forcing Pollard sideways and taking away his running lanes off tackle can render the Cowboys one-dimensional offensively. The Commanders are missing some key defensive pieces, so it remains to be seen whether those tasked with stopping the run can meet expectations.
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