Heading into the Dallas Cowboys' preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, running back Rico Dowdle described competing for the top backup role as the "biggest opportunity of my life."
On Saturday, Dowdle had a chance to strengthen his case for the No. 2 running back spot. He had no problem moving the ball, racking up 21 yards on six carries, 33 yards on three receptions and 44 yards on his lone kickoff return. Unfortunately, though, a costly fumble overshadowed the rest of his performance. ... while another competitor for the job, diminutive rookie Deuce Vaughn, was the star of the evening.
That fumble has undoubtedly weighed on Dowdle in the aftermath of the game, but now he's determined to make amends for that blunder.
"Obviously, that fumble, gotta take care of the ball," Dowdle said. "I'm going to be stuck on that until the next game — but I felt like I did alright. Though that fumble is a minus that made the whole day bad for me.''
Even with that fumble, Dowdle still saw a lot to like in his performance. The fourth-year back said he "felt real fresh out there," and was particularly impressed with his speed and agility.
"Just seeing it and hitting it — my burst," Dowdle said. "I was moving well and getting to where I wanted to go [when I saw it] pre-snap, and [running backs coach Jeff Blasko] has helped a lot with that. I saw it, hit it, saw it and then hit it [again]. I was explosive, with a burst."
The Cowboys signed Dowdle as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and he has maintained his roster spot for three years now. He had a small role in the offense as a rookie, rushing seven times for 24 yards while appearing in 15 games, but injuries have derailed each of his last two seasons. After the Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott early in the offseason, the No. 2 running spot behind Tony Pollard became a very attainable goal, with Dowdle, Malik Davis, Vaughn and Ronald Jones all entering camp in contention for the job.
Even after his fumble on Saturday overshadowed an otherwise solid performance, Dowdle is still eager to get back out there and prove he can play a big role in the offense.
"Overall,'' he said as the Cowboys are back in Oxnard readying for preseason Game 2 at Seattle on Saturday night, "I'll get ready to improve and fix the mistakes next week."
You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News
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