Things came together nicely down the stretch for the Dallas Cowboys this regular season. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are the top passer/receiver duo in football right now, the offensive line is as healthy as can be expected at the end of the regular season, and the defense rebounded well after suffering a mid-season slump.

After nabbing the division on the last week of the season, the Cowboys ride a wave of momentum into the playoffs – but they aren't quite whole yet. As good as the entire team has looked at times this season, and the offense in particular, Tony Pollard and the running game still lag behind.

Tony Pollard's season

The early stages of this season were ugly for Tony Pollard. After rushing for 70, 72, and 122 yards in the first three weeks of the season, Dallas' first-year starting back didn't eclipse the 60-yard mark again until Week 11 in a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers. Things have progressed since then, but not much.

Whether it's the ankle injury he suffered in last year's divisional round loss to San Francisco or simply the weight of his first season as the top runner in the offense, something held Pollard back all season long. After catching glimpses of Pollard's former explosive self in the waning weeks of the regular season, the Cowboys desperately need Pollard's big-play ability to resurface in the playoffs.

Pollard said earlier this season he believes one of those offensive eruptions that was much more common last season is right around the corner. A prime opportunity for such a performance arrives at AT&T Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the form of the Green Bay Packers' fluffy run defense.

Only the Cardinals, Seahawks, Broncos, and Giants were worse at stopping the run this season than the Packers. Green Bay's 143.4 rushing yards allowed per game this season on the road is fourth-worst in the league. The Pack buttoned up their interior defense nicely toward the end of the season, allowing only 79.3 rushing yards per game to the Panthers, Vikings, and Bears, but this is still a defense good teams look to take advantage of on the ground.

Cowboys preparing for playoffs

The Cowboys should be looking to do exactly that in their Wild Card showdown with the Packers. Whether it starts from the first snap and McCarthy tries to ram the ball down Green Bay's throat, or the Cowboys run out a lead in the second half, the run game will almost certainly have a major part to play for Dallas' offense.

So, a surging Pollard is set to handle a heavy workload at home against one of the league's worst run defenses with all five starters available on the offensive line. Those are prime conditions for one of those games Pollard alluded to way back before Thanksgiving. Is Pollard a lock to erupt against Green Bay? Far from it. But if he can jumpstart Dallas' playoff run with a strong outing, the Cowboys will add another earmark of a championship team to their resume: a running back who can take over the game.

How many times have strong runners ignited their offenses in the playoffs? Raheem Mostert's legendary playoff run with the 49ers in 2019 when he averaged over six yards per carry, Jalen Hurts running the Eagles to last year's Super Bowl, Isaiah Pacheco emerging as one of the league's elite backs to help the Chiefs win it, the list goes on. The NFL is a passer's league, but the stability high-powered rushing attacks offer in the playoffs can win championships.

Prescott and Lamb are playing well enough for the Cowboys to succeed this postseason, even if Pollard doesn't pitch in much. Starting Sunday afternoon, however, the Cowboys can evolve from a contender into one of the league's favorites. They can get there by fulfilling Pollard's prophecy from the second week in November. The Cowboys are great, even with this lesser version of Pollard. If he shakes out of his fog Sunday afternoon against Green Bay, Dallas takes another step towards being elite.