Cowboys week two rookie report: Tony Pollard nearly scores first career touchdown, Joe Jackson gets first tackle

Much like last week, it was a very quiet week for the Cowboys rookies. Second-round pick Trysten Hill remains a healthy scratch, while fellow rookies Donovan Wilson, Luke Gifford, and Brandon Knight have not suited up because of injury.

That leaves Tony Pollard and Joe Jackson, who were the only two rookies to see playing time in week one.

How did the two first-year players perform in the divisional win?

Tony Pollard

Pollard — and, well, Ezekiel Elliott — was contained by the Giants defense in week one, as the Cowboys collectively averaged just three yards per carry. In week two, Pollard rushed for two less yards than he did in his first regular season game, but it came on nine less carries.

The fourth-round pick carried the football four times for 22 yards — good for a 5.5 ypc average — behind Ezekiel Elliott’s 23-carry, 111-yard, one-touchdown performance in D.C. All-in-all, the Cowboys rushed for an impressive 213 yards on the Washington defense. The Memphis product also added one catch for a three yard gain.

A solid day could have been even more productive for the rookie. Pollard carried the ball well and even reached the end zone for Dallas, but the score was called back thanks to a holding call. Still, it was a nice game for the first-year back as he showed some promise in limited action.

Joe Jackson

The other rookie that has seen action in the Cowboys’ first two regular season games is fifth-round pick Joe Jackson. Jackson did not show up in the box score in week one but did see some snaps.

In week two, the Miami product was credited for his first career tackle in the NFL. Stephen Jones joined The Fan on Monday afternoon and said that the staff likes how Jackson has the ability to play either side of the defensive line. Jones pointed out that that is a big reason in why the rookie has been active, while 2017 first-rounder Taco Charlton has not been.

Jackson has been able to see the field for his first two professional games, but the return of Robert Quinn in week three could potentially see that fade away. It will be interesting to see how the staff uses Jackson moving forward. In this league, the more defensive linemen, the better.

We are two weeks into the regular season and just two rookies have seen the field for the Dallas Cowboys. Who will be the next rook to see action? Safety Donovan Wilson out of Texas A&M is a likely candidate. With Xavier Woods out for an undetermined period of time, Wilson should get the call this week to be active during the game.