There is something new in the air in North Carolina. Something that hasn’t been there in years.
Quiet whispers are passed along by fans in homes, offices, and bars across the state. Some don’t dare to say it, others are skeptical, but a few are starting to believe it. The Carolina Panthers are back, baby!
It hasn’t been pretty. It hasn’t been flashy. The media gives them little to no coverage at all. But, for the first time in a long time, Panthers fans are looking forward to watching their team play.
The 5-4 Panthers have been quietly stringing together an impressive season and currently sit in second place in the NFC South. Carolina has been carried by a dominant backfield this season, and a man taking the league by storm in Rico Dowdle.
From Backup to Hero
Rico Dowdle started the year off as the No. 2 back in the Panthers’ running back room. Chuba Hubbard, fresh off signing a four-year, $33 million contract extension, was expected to be “the guy” in Carolina, and Dowdle was really just a depth piece.
Through the first four weeks of the season, Hubbard remained the No. 1 back, but his performance was mediocre at best. He was averaging 13.25 carries per game and 54.25 yards per game, but had not found the back of the end zone once on the ground.
Then, Hubbard picked up a calf injury that sidelined him for Weeks 5 and 6. In steps Rico Dowdle, and boy, oh boy, did the man deliver. He anchored back-to-back weeks with over 200 scrimmage yards and two wins for the Panthers.
Overnight, Dowdle had become a cult hero in Charlotte. Running backs had not performed like this for the Panthers since the great Christian McCaffrey, who earned a first-team All-Pro for his efforts in 2019.
The Time-Share Experiment
Dowdle continued his “RB1” tenure against his former team, the Cowboys, in Week 6. He proceeded to rush for 183 yards as well as 56 receiving yards and a touchdown on a screen pass from Bryce Young. Surely, he couldn’t be benched now, right?
Well, as Hubbard returned in Week 7, head coach Dave Canales announced that the Panthers would return to a time-share of reps between the two running backs.
It felt like a strange decision, considering Dowdle’s explosive performances of the past two weeks. Hubbard had proven himself in past seasons, but he just had not been the same this year. Dowdle getting fewer reps just didn’t feel right.
The two-back experiment lasted for just two games, and it seemed that Dowdle and Hubbard were just in the way of each other. However, Dowdle looked better to the naked eye and had more efficient stats. Clearly, Canales was going to have to go with one of the two as the starting back, and the choice seemed obvious.
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Dowdle Earns the Job For a Reason
Week 9 — an away game versus the Packers at the storied Lambeau Field. The Panthers walked into the game as a two-touchdown underdog, with every NFL “expert” picking the Packers to win easily.
Everyone just seemed to forget about Dowdle, and he sure made them pay for it. On the stat sheet, he put up 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns. On the field, he was an absolute monster, running through tackles, patiently slicing up the Packers’ defensive line, and helping the Panthers efficiently manage the clock throughout the game.
Dowdle powered off a 19-yard run into field goal territory with 45 seconds remaining in a tie game, and Ryan Fitzgerald finished the job with a walk-off 49-yard field goal. A huge win for the Panthers and another monstrous performance from Rico Dowdle.
The game against the Packers was proof that the Panthers’ offensive identity now centers around Dowdle. Young has had a good season, but the Panthers are still a team with a run-first mentality. To do that, you must have an elite back, and that is what the Panthers thought they had in Hubard. It turns out it was Dowdle who was the real superstar.
Can Rico Dowdle Keep This Up?
Dowdle said after the game versus Green Bay that the Panthers “can do it against anybody,” and that he is “playing the best ball of his career” right now. He is certainly right. If he continues to perform at a high level, the Panthers genuinely pose a threat to any team in the NFL.
Dowdle currently ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards (despite not holding the starting job for six weeks) and already has reached his career high in season rushing touchdowns with four. The Panthers just look like a completely different team when he plays.
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Dowdle’s rise to the top certainly has not been easy, but all of Carolina is extremely grateful for it, and hopefully, he continues to shine individually and through his team’s performances.
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