Dowdle humbles Cowboys: 239 yards and record, new starter in Panthers?

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle didn’t hesitate when asked about his post-game message to the Dallas Cowboys after the 30-27 victory at Bank of America Stadium. “They weren’t buckled,” Dowdle replied dryly. And no, they weren’t. Dowdle had a team record of 239 scrimmage yards against the team that decided not to renew his contract after the 2024 season, becoming the seventh player in NFL history to have at least 230 scrimmage yards in consecutive games. His 473 scrimmage yards in the last two games surpassed the team record of 416, held by Christian McCaffrey, and helped Carolina (3-3) reach .500 for the first time since Week 10 of 2021. Dowdle’s performance also opened the debate about who will be the starter when Chuba Hubbard returns from a calf injury that has kept him out for the last two weeks.

A great question. Let’s solve that part. But I know Rico is doing a great job and will be an important part of what we are doing.

Dave Canales

The Cowboys (2-3-1) and their defense, the worst in the league, were not prepared for Dowdle from the start. Dowdle ran 21 yards on his first two carries and caught a 13-yard pass on Carolina’s fourth play to set up a field goal. He had a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bryce Young with less than two minutes left in the second half to put the Panthers up 20-17. He celebrated that with a spin of the ball and then pretending to shovel dirt on a grave. Burying Dallas wouldn’t be as easy as Dowdle seemed to knock down defenders. The Panthers needed a 33-yard field goal from rookie Ryan Fitzgerald to get the win. That is, in the end, what Dowdle most wanted.

Definitely. I’ve been saying all week that the main thing is that I just wanted to get that win. Big, big for me, but also big for the organization. Getting to .500 and protecting the home field… you just have to keep building.

Rico Dowdle

Dowdle admitted the game was “a little personal” after the Cowboys didn’t meet his financial demands following his first 1,000-yard rushing season the previous year. Young, whose five touchdown passes in two games tied the most he’s had in that span since he was the first pick of the 2023 draft, smiled when asked if he noticed the game meant more than usual for Dowdle.

Yes, of course. Rico is a competitor. That just speaks to the dog he is. We knew it was personal. We wanted to support him. That’s our brother… If it’s personal for him, it’s personal for us.

Bryce Young

It almost became historic. Dowdle was 17 yards away by land from becoming the fifth player since 1970 to have 200 in consecutive games. O.J. Simpson did it twice. Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, and Jay Ajayi did it once each. Dowdle’s 230+ yards in consecutive games put him in the company of Jim Brown (Browns), Walter Payton (Bears), Marshall Faulk (Rams), Deuce McAllister (Saints), Josh Gordon (Browns), and Le’Veon Bell (Steelers). This from a running back who had 33 touches, 103 yards, and a touchdown in the first four games.

I didn’t realize that part. But it’s definitely special to be able to come here and enter the history books.

Rico Dowdle

Dowdle wasn’t perfect, however. He took full blame for a lateral from wide receiver Xavier Legette that turned into a fumble, pleading with Legette to throw him the ball on a play that initially looked like a bad decision by the receiver. That’s my fault. I told the coaches the same thing. The coach told me not to make up those things. Dowdle’s story, which could lead him to the starting lineup, is something that can’t be made up. It’s something that few, if any, anticipated when he signed a one-year, $3 million contract that could reach $6.5 million with incentives to back up Hubbard. Certainly, it caught the attention of the Cowboys. He told us to buckle up. He had the last laugh.