Panthers’ Rico Dowdle predicted big game vs. Dolphins — but he was off a tad
Rico Dowdle tried to warn Jaycee Horn all week.
Whenever the two former University of South Carolina teammates would chat during Week 5, Dowdle would have a premonition. Dowdle would say that he was going to have an breakout day against the 30th-ranked Miami Dolphins run defense.
Dowdle, 27, specifically threw out the projection of 180 rushing yards to Horn. That’s a pretty big number for a playmaker who hadn’t exceeded 32 rushing yards during his first four games with the Panthers.
But with starting running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) sidelined on Sunday, Dowdle exceeded even his own lofty expectations. The former Dallas Cowboys running back produced 206 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 27-24 comeback win over Miami.
“We knew we’d be able to run the ball coming into the week, it was just a matter of how well we were able to run it,” Dowdle said after the game. “Definitely had great confidence in myself, and those guys up front. And it worked out in our favor ... I thought I could do it, given the opportunity, and definitely took advantage.”
Horn, the team’s top cornerback, and wide receiver Xavier Legette, another ex-Gamecocks playmaker, watched as Dowdle broke free for huge 53- and 43-yard runs in the second half.
Those big gains reminded Horn and Legette of what Dowdle used to do during their college years.
“I knew he could do it — just a matter of time of when they were going to let him do it,” Leggette said with a huge smile on his face. “And they let him get it with his action today, and you see what he did with it. That’s him.”
Dowdle didn’t eclipse 10 carries in a game while serving as the primary backup to Hubbard during the first month of the season. But with Hubbard nursing an injury, it was easy for the Panthers to hand over the lion’s share of work to Dowdle, who was coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season with the Cowboys. His best rushing performance in 2024 was 149 yards — against Carolina.
Dowdle unleashed an uncanny performance against the lowly Dolphins front. He averaged 9 yards per tote as he sliced through defenders at will.
“We had a great game plan,” head coach Dave Canales said. “Rico would be up here and, first off, tell you the offensive line did an excellent job of getting movement to get the run started, but it’s the attitude that he ran with, the violence that he ran with, finishing through arm tackles. Something that we’ve been challenging our guys on. When we get you to the second level, have a plan for how you finish, and I saw a great finish today out of Rico.”
“Rico was amazing,” right guard Brady Christensen added.
By the fourth quarter, Dowdle was cramping up on the sideline, perhaps due to his strong performance. During different drives, he had to take a breather to get his juice back as a runner.
“Both of my calves locked up,” Dowdle said.
He ultimately closed out a special performance as the Panthers capped a pair of comeback efforts at home.
“It definitely was a team effort,” Dowdle said. “It took all three phases. Started off slow, but we were able to grind back and come back in it. Glad I got to play my part and help win this one.”
While it’s important to note that the Dolphins have one of the worst run defenses in the league, Dowdle’s performance was also willed by strong blocking, settler execution and effective play-calling in the final three quarters.
The Panthers hadn’t had much of a running game before Sunday’s win, and with Dowdle’s emergence, they should feel better about that aspect of their offense, even with Hubbard sidelined.
If the ground attack can start to surge, Canales, quarterback Bryce Young and the passing attack can begin to sell more trickery behind the line of scrimmage. Pre-snap motions and play-action fakes can help protect Young, while also opening up big plays for Legette, Tetairoa McMillan, Jimmy Horn Jr. and others over the next 11 games.
