Oct 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) runs with the ball during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Emerging Panthers star Rico Dowdle among NFL's biggest Week 6 winners

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 6:00 AM ET

Four weeks into the 2025 NFL season, the Carolina Panthers appeared to be an early disappointment. A strong finish the previous season was a reason for optimism. Instead, Dave Canales’s team dropped three of its first four games, which included lopsided losses at Jacksonville (26-10) and at New England (42-13).

Now the Panthers sit at 3-3 and the team has a different feel to it. On Sunday at Charlotte, Canales’s club came away with a three-point win for the second consecutive week. Once again, the offense had few problems moving the football.

Jared Dubin of CBS Sports handed out winners and losers for Week 6. The Panthers’ 30-27 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Charlotte provided him with a no-brainer choice.

“Dowdle talked some pregame smack to his former team,” explained Dubin, “telling the Dallas Cowboys that they should buckle up their chin straps to get ready to play against him and the Carolina Panthers. (Dallas allowed Dowdle to walk in free agency this offseason, choosing instead to sign Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders)."

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“Dowdle came out against Dallas and backed up his talk with his play,” added Dubin. “He went over 200 total yards for the second week in a row, rushing an incredible 30 times for 183 yards and catching four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.”

Over the past two games, with starter Chuba Hubbard on the sidelines, Dowdle has carried the football a combined 53 times for 389 yards and one score. He’s also has caught seven passes for 84 yards and one touchdown. Thanks to rushing performances of 206 and 183 yards the last two weeks vs. Miami and Dallas, respectively, Dowdle’s 472 yards on the ground ranks fifth in the NFL.

The Panthers are winning these days, and so is their prized offensive free-agent addition in 2025.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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