The Carolina Panthers fell just short of pulling off the biggest upset of Wild Card Weekend after taking the Los Angeles Rams to the brink in a 34-31 loss.
Despite entering as a 10.5-point underdog, the Panthers were in position to win the game before Matthew Stafford led a clinical two-minute drive to give the Rams the lead, capped by a pinpoint touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson.
Even though this is a heartbreaking loss, the Panthers can use this game to build for next season, but the players on the roster next year are still to be determined. One player whose future is up in the air is running back Rico Dowdle.
Decreased Usage
At one point in the season, Rico Dowdle had taken over as the Panthers’ lead running back from Chuba Hubbard. However, in the Panthers’ playoff game against the Rams, Hubbard received the bulk of the carries on his way to having 13 carries for 46 yards and two touchdowns.
Dowdle received only five carries for nine yards, and as he cleaned out his locker the day after the game, he made it known that the lack of carries would play a role in his free agency decision this offseason.
David Newton of ESPN wrote about Dowdle discussing his future.
“That definitely is a factor,” Dowdle said. “There’s options for me. I just want to be a guy who can go out there and just get the bulk [of the carries].”
The Panthers are just over a year removed from giving Hubbard a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension, and they likely will not run a dual-back system next year because of that. One thing is for certain, though, and that is that Dowdle feels like he’s capable of more.
Hungry For a Larger Role
After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, after not coming into the season as the starting running back, Rico Dowdle is hungry to prove that he can be trusted as the lead back for a franchise.
Even though Dowdle earned a $1 million bonus for reaching 1,350 scrimmage yards and another $250,000 for getting six touchdowns, he still feels like he has more to prove.
ESPN’s David Newton wrote that Dowdle feels he has more to accomplish.
“I‘ve got more out there that I need to do to improve,” Dowdle said. “And then I’ll celebrate after that.”
Nick Geddes of On3 wrote about Dowdle’s desire to be the one running back who is relied upon to carry an offense.
“Just wanna be a guy that can go out there and just get the boat and try to let it run,” Dowdle said. “I think my game shows the more I get throughout the game, the stronger, better I get. Just want to take that into consideration.”
Dowdle is likely to be one-and-done in Carolina, but even in his brief time with the team, he left his mark. His back to back games of 206 and 183 yards rushing were highlights of the season, and he was a significant reason the Panthers made their first playoff appearance since the 2017 season.
