The Panthers shifted gears in their offensive backfield heading into their Week 9 game against the Packers and going with Rico Dowdle as their lead back turned out to be a wise move.
Dowdle ran 25 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns in Carolina’s 16-13 upset win at Lambeau Field. Dowdle had put up even bigger numbers during two starts while Chuba Hubbard was out of the lineup and the Panthers pivoted back to him as the No. 1 back after two games of diminished production with Hubbard back in the lineup.
After the win, Dowdle said he’s aiming for even bigger things over the rest of the season.
“Oh yeah, for sure, I definitely think I’m playing my best,” Dowdle said, via the team’s website. “All the numbers speak for it, so I definitely think I’m playing my best ball. But like I said, I got to give credit to those guys up front. They allow me to do it; we’ve got to keep continuing to build off of it.”
The win moved the Panthers to 5-4 and the next two weeks bring games against the Saints and Falcons. If Dowdle can stay in the groove he’s found, Carolina could enter the stretch run with a real shot at making the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
