Cowboys great Emmitt Smith takes aim at Mike McCarthy for holding Tony Pollard back

Tony Pollard likely licked his chops when Mike McCarthy sent the media into a frenzy earlier this year when he declared that he'd be leaning into the running game much more.

On Up and Adams, former running back superstar Emmitt Smith called out the coach over the same subject.

"Defenses are gearing up to stop one person, Tony Pollard, in the run game," Smith said. "Therefore, they focus in on him week in and week out like they did with Ezekiel Elliott, and that's slowing down his running game and McCarthy is only [increasing the issue] by not creating opportunities for Pollard to get the ball in certain spaces. That's all McCarthy."

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Tony Pollard stock falls as CeeDee Lamb stock rises

CeeDee Lamb at Dallas Cowboys v San Francisco 49ers

Of course, CeeDee Lamb has been the talk of the town over the last couple of games as he's taken center stage in the Cowboys' offense. While Tony Pollard's production has dwindled, Lamb's has sky-rocketed.

In the last two games, Lamb has racked up 19 catches for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Tony Pollard has gotten 27 attempts for 83 yards on the ground. In the season, Pollard is averaging 3.9 yards per carry for 423 rushing yards.

Essentially, there appear to be conflicting schools of thought in Dallas. On one hand, the calls for increasing CeeDee Lamb's usage were spreading through the internet like wildfire. On the other side, as Lamb has seen his target increase, complaints are arising from that crowd.

At this point, Mike McCarthy appears to be caught in the middle. If he gets Dak Prescott throwing, he makes some fans happy and upsets others. If he leans into the run game, he gets called out for running an old-school offense by those who want CeeDee Lamb to trend up. In other words, there's no making every fan happy.

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CeeDee Lamb building case for massive payday

CeeDee Lamb at Dallas Cowboys v Los Angeles Chargers

Lamb might be the second player of a one-two punch to the Cowboys' salary cap. Within the next two years, Jerry Jones will be forced to pen deals to Dak Prescott and his number one receiver, especially if they continue to click at their current pace.

2024 will be the wide receiver's fifth-year option year, minimizing the time that Jones has to drag his feet in negotiations. At the same time, Prescott also will be in the final year of his deal in 2024. The next roughly 18 months will be expensive for the general manager. Will he choose to go all-in or could there be some drama afoot?

If any of the above quotes are used, credit Up and Adams and H/T Sportskeeda.