Revenge is good.
Rico Dowdle has simply achieved one thing that solely two different operating again have performed within the final decade.
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The Carolina Panthers RB turned the primary participant since Dalvin Cook dinner in 2020 to document 200-plus whole scrimmage yards in back-to-back video games.
However what makes this further rewarding for the 27-year-old is that he did so in his ‘revenge recreation’ towards the Dallas Cowboys – the crew he known as house for the primary 4 seasons of his NFL profession.
Having exploded for a career-high 206 speeding yards and a landing, and an extra 28 receiving yards within the Panthers’ 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 5, Dowdle instructed the Cowboys to be cautious forward of their assembly on Sunday.
“They acquired to buckle up,” Dowdle mentioned of the Cowboys after the Panthers’ win towards Miami, through ESPN. “I believe they know for certain. They did not maintain me there for 5 years for no cause.”
The NFC’s offensive participant of the week reiterated his earlier feedback on Wednesday, the place he mentioned: “Yeah, they should buckle up, [I] stand on that.
“That was simply that means it should be a really bodily recreation from my finish. I do know from my finish, I take loads of pleasure in that: buckling the chinstraps up tight, and I might be coming.”
They did not pay attention. With a protection that not has famous person Micah Parsons, Dowdle inflicted some severe harm on his former crew, going for 239 whole yards – 183 yards of which got here on the bottom – and a receiving landing in a 30-27 victory over America’s Crew.
Having notched back-to-back 200-plus-yard video games, Dowdle turns into simply the third again since 2016 to realize the feat, becoming a member of Cook dinner (2020) – the older brother of Buffalo Payments again James Cook dinner – and Jay Ajayi (2016).
Dowdle exploits Dallas’ protection in ‘revenge recreation’
Dowdle was out to show that the Cowboys ought to have re-signed him within the low season after a breakout 2024 marketing campaign by which he rushed for 1,079 yards and added an extra 249 yards within the air for 5 whole touchdowns.
This noticed him develop into the primary undrafted participant in Cowboys historical past to hurry for over 1,000 yards in a single season.
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Nevertheless, proprietor Jerry Jones did not make him a suggestion, opting to signal Javonte Williams – two years Dowdle’s junior – to be within the backfield with quarterback Dak Prescott as an alternative, and so he departed for the Panthers on a one-year, $2.75 million deal.
That contract now appears to be an absolute steal for Carolina, who misplaced their beginning again Chuba Hubbard to damage in Week 4’s defeat to the New England Patriots.
When Jones made the daring resolution to commerce star cross rusher Parsons to the Inexperienced Bay Packers in trade for defensive deal with Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks, the 82-year-old insisted that the Cowboys protection could be “a greater crew than we’ve the final a number of years.”
He recommended that Parsons was weak towards the run. Thus far, although, the Cowboys’ protection has gone from dangerous to worse, permitting 410 whole yards, together with 216 on the bottom.
This marks the sixth consecutive recreation by which they’ve allowed 300-plus yards, and is the fourth time by which they’ve given up over 144 yards speeding on the season.
However Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is adamant that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus can flip issues round.
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“Matt’s an incredible coach,” Schottenheimer mentioned after Sunday’s loss in Carolina. “In all places he’s ever been he’s had good defenses.
“It’s not simply Matt by himself. Matt’s making an attempt. The gamers are attempting. This isn’t a scarcity of effort.”
The Cowboys now fall to 2-3-1 on the season, and sit third within the NFC East behind reigning Tremendous Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) and the Washington Commanders (3-2), whom they may subsequent face in a divisional match-up.
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