Chuba Hubbard is the Panthers’ starting running back, but his backup, Rico Dowdle, is the NFC offensive player of the week after 234 yards from scrimmage on Sunday.
No one was happier for Dowdle than Hubbard, who called Dowdle’s award a foregone conclusion.
“Coach [Dave Canales] brought it up in the team meeting, and I mean we all kind of figured,” Hubbard said, via the team website. “I mean if they didn’t give it to him, that’s bullshit, to be honest. He definitely deserved it and more, so just happy to see him get his flowers.”
Hubbard’s calf injury opened the door for Dowdle to do what he did against the Dolphins, and Hubbard did not practice again on Wednesday. It would give Dowdle a start against his former team, the Cowboys, and he has already warned them to “buckle up.”
Dowdle, though, is not worried about losing playing time and carries to Hubbard once Hubbard returns. He shrugged at a question about returning to a backup role.
“Only thing I can control is coming in here and put my best foot forward each day,” Dowdle said. “And, like I said, two is better than one; we know for sure we’ve got two guys that can go out there and do it.”
Hubbard has 72 fewer carries than Dowdle this season, but, like Dowdle, he isn’t worried about playing time, touches or credit.
“I think one thing you can never be mad about is having a talented RB room,” Hubbard said. “I think there are ways to complement each other. Also, I think that you know there are moments like this where one guy goes down and another guy needs to step up.”
Panthers Clips
The Cowboys remain banged up with five players out of practice and 10 others getting only limited work.
Left guard Tyler Booker (ankle), wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (ankle), linebacker Jack Sanborn (concussion), wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (foot) and safety Donovan Wilson (elbow/knee) did not practice on Wednesday.
Booker, Lamb and Turpin were inactive with their injuries on Sunday, while Sanborn and Wilson were injured in the victory over the Jets.
Cornerback DaRon Bland (shoulder), defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (hip), offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius (knee/knee), cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee), left tackle Tyler Guyton (concussion), defensive end James Houston (knee), defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (ankle), running back Miles Sanders (knee/ankle), right guard Tyler Smith (knee) and safety Juanyeh Thomas (ankle) were limited.
Cornerback Caelen Carson (knee) and wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (knee) were full participants in their second week of practice. Both remain on injured reserve.
From the moment video began to circulate on Sunday of Cowboys owner and G.M. Jerry Jones showing the New Jersey state bird to Jets fans at MetLife Stadium, it was obvious that the NFL would impose a financial punishment.
And Jones was fined $250,000 — despite his laughable claim that he meant to give a thumb’s up instead.
It happened sixteen years after the league fined the late Bud Adams, founder of the Oilers/Titans, the same amount for firing off a double-barreled middle finger during a game against the Bills.
Beyond Jones’s bizarre contention that his fingers essentially have a mind of their own (hey, who hasn’t accidentally flipped someone off when attempting to make a very different gesture?) is another strange-but-true fact. When Panthers owner David Tepper was caught on camera deliberately throwing a drink on fans during a game in Jacksonville two years ago, he was fined only $300,000.
With Jones appealing his punishment, maybe he should ditch the wayward-digit argument and argue that the punishment isn’t proportionate to Tepper’s fine for throwing a drink on a customer.
In hindsight, Tepper’s punishment was ridiculously low. People give other people the finger all the time. It’s a victimless crime, especially when done in jest. (And, based on the video, Jerry looked to be simply having some boys-will-be-boys fun.) Throwing a drink on someone is a significant insult, especially since the liquid potentially carries germs or viruses or other nasty stuff that made its way from the drink-thrower’s mouth into the drink before the drink was hurled onto someone else.
Also, why does Jones even care about the fine? He’s a multi-billionaire. Not long ago, he expressed defiance regarding the rule against directly negotiating with players who have agents, and he basically said, “Go ahead and fine me.”
Now that he’s been fined the paltry (for him) amount of $250,000, the boss move would be to pay it in, as Randy Moss once said, “straight cash, homie.”
Running back Chuba Hubbard missed last Sunday’s Panthers win with a calf injury and he was not ready to get back on the field Wednesday.
Hubbard missed the team’s first practice ahead of their Week 6 matchup with the Cowboys. Hubbard’s absence was not a problem for the Panthers against the Dolphins because Rico Dowdle ran for 206 yards in their 27-24 win and Dowdle will be the lead back against his former team if Hubbard remains out.
The Panthers also practiced without right tackle Taylor Moten (elbow), defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (toe), and cornerback Akayleb Evans (hamstring).
Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (ankle) returned as a limited participant after missing the last two games. Defensive back Chau Smith-Wade (chest) was out last Sunday, but was listed as a full participant along with cornerback Mike Jackson (ribs) and wide receiver Jalen Coker (quad).
The Panthers came back from being 17-0 down to beat the Dolphins in Week 5 and running back Rico Dowdle had a lot to do with that.
Dowdle set a career high by running for 206 yards on 23 carries during the 27-24 victory. One of those carries was a one-yard touchdown that gave the Panthers their first lead of the day and he also had three catches for 28 yards.
The NFL announced on Wednesday that Dowdle has been named the NFC offensive player of the week as a result of his performance.
Dowdle will try to keep it rolling against his former team when the Panthers face the Cowboys in Week 6.
The Jaguars’ comeback win on Monday night felt improbable, but it fit right in with the rest of Week 5’s action.
They fell behind 14-0 in the first half of the game before rallying back to take the lead in the third quarter and ultimately pulling out the win in the final seconds. That made them the sixth team to come back from a double-digit deficit to win this week.
According to the Associated Press, it is the sixth time in NFL history with such a six-pack of games. The last time it happened was in 2013.
The Broncos, Titans, Saints, Panthers, and Commanders were the other teams to come back from being down at least 10 points in Week 6.
Wide receiver Jalen Coker is on his way back to the Panthers lineup.
Head coach Dave Canales said at a Monday press conference that Coker will practice with the team on Wednesday. Coker is on injured reserve after hurting his quad this summer and will have a three-week window to practice with the team after being designated for return.
Coker can be activated at any point in that window, but Canales said that it’s too soon to know if a Week 6 return is a possibility.
Coker had 32 catches for 478 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games with the Panthers as a rookie last season.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young showed he could rebound from tough times after being benched early last season and his perseverance was on display again on Sunday.
Young had two turnovers that the Dolphins used to jump out to a 17-0 lead in the first half, but thoughts of a Miami blowout went away by halftime. The Panthers cut the lead to 17-10 and then snatched the game away from their visitors with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
The second of those came on a throw to tight end Mitchell Evans and the performance led right tackle Taylor Moton to say that Young is “definitely the kind of guy you want at the helm” of a team.
“Everybody wants him to just fail at this in those situations,” defensive tackle Derrick Brown said, via the team’s website. “But I mean, the dude comes off, straight to me on the sidelines, and says, ‘Go get it back for me and we’ll go.’ . . . I mean, he’s getting where he wants to be, man.”
Running back Rico Dowdle’s 234 yards from scrimmage can’t be overlooked on the list of reasons why the Panthers got off the map, but the Panthers would not have won if Young wasn’t able to clean up his game after the early mistakes. While the Panthers would prefer to see him at a high level from the first snap, they’ll take the signs of progress when they get results like they got on Sunday.
Rico Dowdle signed with the Panthers in free agency this offseason, leaving the Cowboys after his first 1,000-yard season in 2024. The Panthers running back faces them next Sunday, coming off a 200-yard game.
He’s ready. Are they?
“They got to buckle up,’' Dowdle said, via David Newton of ESPN. “I think they know for sure. They didn’t keep me there for five years for no reason.’'
Dowdle had only 83 yards on 28 carries in the first four games, serving as Chuba Hubbard’s backup. Hubbard missed Sunday’s game against the Dolphins with a calf injury, and Dowdle rushed for a career-high 206 yards and scored a touchdown on 23 carries.
He tied for the second-most rushing yards in a game in team history and was only 5 yards from breaking DeAngelo Williams’ team record set in 2012.
“If I didn’t leave with cramps, I definitely would have gotten it,’' Dowdle said.
Rookie Trevor Etienne got four carries for 22 yards while Dowdle was trying to hydrate.
Hubbard’s health will determine how much Dowdle gets to play against his former team. Dowdle, though, said the Cowboys better be prepared for him.
“They know I’m a violent runner,’' Dowdle said. “I’m looking forward to getting to the second level on them. They’ve just got to buckle up.’'
The Panthers looked like they were on the road to a disaster in the first half of Sunday’s home game against the Dolphins, but they wound up pulling out a remarkable win.
Quarterback Bryce Young hit tight end Mitchell Evans for a touchdown with two minutes left to play to give the Panthers their second lead of the fourth quarter and their defense forced a Dolphins three-and-out with a Patrick Jones sack to give themselves a chance to run out the clock. They did exactly that after Dolphins cornerback Jack Jones was called for pass interference on a third down.
The 27-24 win came after the Panthers fell behind 17-0 in the first half. Young had a fumble and an interception that led to 14 of Miami’s points and the Panthers couldn’t find an answer for tight end Darren Waller in the early going. Both Young and the defense found better footing from there, however.
Waller didn’t catch a pass in the second half of the game and the Dolphins punted on six of their final seven possessions. Young avoided further miscues and kept feeding running back Rico Dowdle to good effect. Dowdle ran 23 times for 206 yards, including a one-yard score that put the Panthers up 20-17 with 6:10 to play. The Dolphins answered with a long touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle put the Dolphins back up less than two minutes later.
Dowdle left the game after a 16-yard run to kick off the game-winning drive, but Trevor Etienne pitched in with two good runs and Young hit wide receiver Xavier Legette and rookie wideout Jimmy Horn for sizable gains. The pass to Horn was a 17-yarder on fourth down and Young finished the day 19-of-30 for 198 yards and two scores to go with the interception.
Tagovailoa was 27-of-36 for 256 yards and three scores, but three sacks and a non-existent running game helped the offense sputter after their hot start.
The Panthers are now 2-3 and they’ll host the Cowboys on Sunday in Week 6. The 1-4 Dolphins will return home to host the Chargers.
