Rico Dowdle buckles up, runs over Cowboys  

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle runs to the goal line on a 36-yard touchdown reception from Bryce Young in their 30-27 win against the Dallas Cowboys Oct. 12, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium. Dowdle, a former Cowboy, rushed for 183 yards on 30 carries.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott misses Carolina Panthers running back and former teammate Rico Dowdle. 

After spending five years together, Prescott and Dowdle were separated last offseason when the Cowboys decided to go with Javonte Williams and not re-sign Dowdle, who eventually decided to come “home” and form a 1-2 punch with starter Chuba Hubbard. 

With Hubbard missing the past two games with a calf injury, Dowdle is proving the Cowboys may have made a mistake. After compiling 234 total yards in a come-from-behind win against Miami a week ago, Dowdle compiled a franchise record 239 yards Sunday as the Panthers rallied to a 30-27 victory, sealed by rookie Ryan Fitzgerald’s 33-yard field goal as time expired. At 3-3, the rebuilding Panthers are .500 for the first time since Week 10 of 2021.      

“Dowdle did a great job tonight,” Prescott said. “Great job last week. We have a hellava group of running backs and I love my team, but I miss that guy. I’m proud of him more than anything.” 

Dowdle rushed for 183 yards on 30 carries and caught four passes for 56 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bryce Young, who has guided the Panthers to consecutive fourth-quarter comebacks at Bank of America Stadium. 

The friendly banter between Dowdle, a native of Gaffney, S.C., and his former teammates started during pregame warmups and extended to his victory stroll off the field. 

“It’s definitely special being back home,” Dowdle said. “I’m on my home team and it’s special to do it in front of family and friends.” 

Including Prescott, no doubt. 

Dowdle exacts revenge

Facing the NFL’s 32nd-ranked defense, which entered Sunday yielding 412 total yards per game, the Panthers’ game plan centered on Dowdle. 

He did not disappoint. 

Dowdle started the first quarter with runs of 9, 12, and 8 yards, helping the Panthers drive into Cowboys territory and setting up a game-opening field goal.  

Dowdle wasn’t perfect, though. With 44 seconds remaining in the first half, Young hit Xavier Legette with a short pass. Legette bobbled the catch and as he was going down, he heard Dowdle scream: “Pitch it ... pitch it ... pitch it.” 

He did, but Dowdle mishandled the lateral and fumbled, which Legette recovered. 

"That’s on me,” Dowdle said.  

Canales joked about the play during his post-game press conference: “I said guys, ‘let’s not make stuff up.’ It’s a good way to remind the group to just do your job.” 
Dowdle certainly did in the fourth quarter. 

With Dallas leading 24-20, Dowdle touched the ball on seven of 10 plays, including six straight snaps, leading to rookie Tetairoa McMillan’s second receiving touchdown. 

On the Panthers’ final possession with the score tied at 27, Dowdle helped fuel the game-winning 15-play, 71-yard drive with five rushes for 25 yards. Like last week, he cramped and was forced to the sideline. 

“I made it further than last week,” Dowdle joked. 

‘They weren’t buckled up’ 

Dowdle warned the Cowboys about his intentions. 

“They know I’m a violent runner,'” he said last week. “I’m looking forward to getting to the second level on them. They’ve just got to buckle up.”

Despite proving to be a starting caliber back in 2024 when Dowdle rushed for 1,079 yards, the Cowboys decided to commit to Williams and add rookie Jaydon Blue to the mix. Dowdle moved on and signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Panthers. With incentives, the contract value could rise to approximately $6 million. 

To prepare for Sunday’s game, Canales said on Friday the Cowboys’ coaching staff would use five seasons of internal data to prepare for Dowdle.  

“If there’s some holes in a player’s game that you try to exploit, you try to use all the information that you have at your disposal,” Canales said. “That’s part of the nature of competition and beauty of our game, when you have a little more information: ‘How can you use that?’ 

“When you have an opportunity to compete against people you know, it’s exciting, but at the same time you have to be focused on the scheme and we have to be focused on executing our game plan. I expect Rico to do the same thing.”   

Seven days after running for 206 yards, matching the second-highest mark in Carolina history, Dowdle collected 423 scrimmage yards over the past two weeks, breaking Christian McCaffrey’s previous record of 416. 

Williams rushed for 29 yards on 13 carries Sunday. 

“(Dowdle) looked like the same guy as last week,” Canales said. “He ran with violence, and he had a plan, a man on a mission. He’s human and I’m sure there were emotions (playing) against his former team.”  

Prescott said he missed catching up with Dowdle after the game but would reach out soon. 

“I’ll connect with him,” he said. 

Added Dowdle on the back-and-forth with former teammates: “It’s all love at the end of the day.” 

But he did get in the final jab, suggesting: “They weren’t buckled up.”

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