CHARLOTTE,. N.C. (AP) — Rico Dowdle told his Carolina Panthers teammates last week that he'd run for 180 yards against the Miami Dolphins.
It sounded like a bold prediction, but he more than backed it up.
Dowdle, who got his first start of the season in place of the injured Chuba Hubbard, had runs of 53 and 43 yards in the second half on Sunday and finished with a career-high 206 yards on 23 carries, tied for the second-highest rushing total in franchise
history — only 5 yards shy of breaking DeAngelo Williams' single-game record.
“I put trust in those guys up front,” Dowdle said after Carolina's 27-24 come-from-behind win. “I knew we would be able to run the ball, it was just a matter of how well we could run it. I had great confidence in those guys up front and myself, and it worked out in my favor. We had an opportunity and we took advantage.”
Dowdle almost didn't get that chance.
Bryce Young turned the ball over on each of Carolina's first two possessions and the Panthers fell behind 17-0. But instead of panicking and going exclusively to the passing game, Panthers second-year coach Dave Canales stuck with Dowdle — and it paid off.
Dowdle even helped out the coaching staff along the way.
During the second quarter, he noticed the Panthers might have an opportunity for a big gain if they ran a toss play to the right side. He relayed the message to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik in the second quarter, and Canales decided to call the play to start the second half.
The result was Dowdle breaking a tackle and scampering 53 yards to set up a field goal that cut Miami's lead to 17-13. He later scored on a 1-yard plunge to give Carolina its first lead with 6:10 remaining.
“(Idzik) came up to me after the game and told me, ‘Just tell me what runs you want to run,’” Dowdle said with a laugh.
It's unclear if Hubbard, who has a calf injury, will be back for Week 6. No matter what, Dowdle appears to have earned more playing time.
“The attitude that he ran with, the violence that he ran with, finishing through arm tackles, it's something that we’ve been challenging our guys on,” Canales said. “When we get you to the second level, have a plan for how you finish, and I saw a great finish today out of Rico.”
Dowdle didn't realize until someone told him after the game how close he was to breaking the team rushing record.
He felt like he would have shattered the mark if he hadn't had to leave the game on multiple occasions in the second half with cramping in both legs. Dowdle said he drank five cups of pickle juice and a packet of hydration mix, which allowed him to return for the final drive.
“Hey, I will get another opportunity to do it again,” Dowdle said of the record.
His first chance comes next Sunday on the same field against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys.
Dowdle eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing for the Cowboys last season, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones showed little interest in re-signing him. Dowdle said he’s had a chip on his shoulder since coming into the league as an undrafted free agent and having to bide his time as a special-teams player. Facing Dallas, he said, might mean a little more to him.
The Dolphins ranked 30th in the league against the run coming into the week; the Cowboys were 20th.
“They've got to buckle up. I think they know, for sure,” Dowdle said. “I had been there for five years and they didn’t keep me there five years for no reason, I will definitely say that."
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