Rico Dowdle has settled in as the Dallas Cowboys’ primary running back, but the 26-year-old may not be available for Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. What happened to Dowdle, and what’s his status for Week 8?
Rico Dowdle Injury Update Ahead of Week 8
Dowdle is battling an illness leading into the Cowboys’ Week 8 matchup. Dallas announced that Dowdle became sick after he arrived at Levi’s Stadium.
Dowdle was initially considered questionable to face the 49ers on SNF. However, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero subsequently reported that Dowdle will be inactive for tonight’s game.
Rico Dowdle will be inactive tonight, per source.
You're up, Dalvin Cook and Zeke Elliott. https://t.co/4ZUYvmL6sX
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero)
Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Dowdle appeared fine while walking through the stadium’s tunnels during the pre-game process, so he must have gotten sick once entering Dallas’ locker room.
Dowdle has started every Cowboys game since Week 2 while steadily widening the snap rate and touch-count gap between himself and Dallas’ RB2 Ezekiel Elliott.
In Week 5, Dowdle played 50% of the Cowboys’ snaps while handling 20 rushing attempts and catching both his targets. His playing time and opportunities represented season highs.
Through six games, Dowdle has rushed 49 times for 246 yards (4.2 yards per carry). His 51.5% rushing success rate ranks 21st among 51 qualifying running backs.
Can Fantasy Managers Trust Dalvin Cook or Ezekiel Elliott in Week 8?
The Cowboys elevated veteran running back Dalvin Cook from their practice squad over the weekend. He was already scheduled to be active against the 49ers on Sunday night.
With Dowdle sidelined, Cook, Elliott, and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn will handle Dallas’ backfield workload. Fullback Hunter Luepke would also see action on passing downs.
Vaughn has received just seven carries this season and was a healthy scratch in Weeks 5 and 6. He’s unlikely to be a rushing factor against the 49ers, leaving Cook and Elliott to share running-down work.
San Francisco has struggled against the run this season, ranking 23rd in rushing success rate and 26th in EPA per rush entering Week 8. The 49ers cut DT Arik Armstead during the offseason, then lost fellow interior defender Javon Hargrave to a season-ending triceps injury in Week 3. Kyle Shanahan’s club has allowed its opponents to rush for over 165 yards in two of the past three weeks.
There’s an opportunity here — it’s just unclear how Dallas will manage its backfield rotation.
The Cowboys had already started to ice Elliott out of touches. Does that mean Mike McCarthy wants to see what Cook can do? The last time Cook was a regular contributor, he averaged just 3.2 yards per carry and posted a 38.8% rushing success rate before being cut by the New York Jets.
If you’re scrambling for a Dowdle replacement, Cook might be your best bet simply because Dallas had already started to sour on Zeke. But realistically, you’re trying to predict whether one of these veteran backs will fall into the end zone.
