Panthers down Cowboys on last-second field goal as Rico Dowdle runs wild on old team

Rico Dowdle warned the Cowboys to “buckle up” ahead of Sunday’s game in Carolina. 

The Panthers’ running back delivered on his end of the bargain, putting up 183 rushing yards and a touchdown while helping his new team take down is old team on a last-second field goal, which he helped set up.

On the Panthers’ final 15-play, 71-yard drive, which resulted in a 33-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald to win the game 30-27, Dowdle rushed for 25 yards.

Christian McCaffery previously held the distinction during a stretch in 2019 in games against the Texans and Jaguars. 

“Film don’t lie, man, everybody in Bank of America Stadium could see what No. 5 was doing out there,” Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan told reporters after the game about Dowdle. “He’s a big part of why this offense is going. Shout out to Rico.”

Dowdle spent five seasons with the Cowboys after he was signed in 2020 as an undrafted free agent and became the first undrafted player in Dallas history to rush for more than 1,000 yards during the 2024 season.