The Carolina Panthers upset the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, largely due to the stellar performance from running back Rico Dowdle.
Dowdle, a former Cowboy, finished the game with 30 carries for 183 rushing yards. On top of that, he recorded four receptions for 56 yards and a receiving touchdown — a total of 239 yards put up against Dallas. Outside of that, the Panthers’ offense was decent at best. Franchise quarterback Bryce Young completed 17 of his 25 passing attempts for three touchdowns and an interception.
It truly was the Dowdle show, and he knew it was going to go this way before the matchup even began.
Rico Dowdle Takes Dig at Cowboys, HC Brian Schottenheimer After Panthers Win
Before Dowdle’s revenge game against the Cowboys, he sent a message to his former organization, telling them, “Sure, they got to buckle up. I think they know for sure. I’ve been there five years. They’ve been keeping me there for five years for no reason. I definitely said that, but looking forward to playing those guys next week.”
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer responded to the star RB’s remark, saying, “It’ll be good to see Rico this weekend. I know we’ll have to buckle up, he said. We’ll bring our seatbelts, Rico.”
Turns out those seatbelts didn’t hold, as the Cowboys fell 30-27. Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald sealed the win with a 33-yard field goal in the final three seconds.
After his big day, Dowdle didn’t hold back and fired a four-word dig at his former team. In his postgame press conference, the 27-year-old said, “They wasn’t buckled up.”
The Cowboys’ offense actually had quite a solid outing, as QB Dak Prescott completed 25 of his 34 pass attempts for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
The majority of this production went to star wide receiver George Pickens, who is filling in nicely for the injured CeeDee Lamb. He finished the day with nine receptions for 168 yards and a touchdown catch. Tight end Jake Ferguson also had a respectable afternoon with three receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown grab.
While the Panthers’ run game shone, Cowboys RB Javonte Williams tallied just 29 rushing yards on 13 carries.
It’s easy to see why Dowdle was so productive against the Cowboys’ defense, which ranks last in PFSN’s season standings with an impact score of just 58.0.
It’s hard to say exactly how many touches Dowdle will get once RB Chubba Hubbard returns from injury, but Carolina needs to keep him involved at all costs.
