In a game where the Miami Dolphins went up 17-0 early, it looked like the Carolina Panthers were on their way to a second straight loss. Bryce Young had an ugly start, with a fumble on the first drive followed by an interception on the next. Luckily, Rico Dowdle came to do work on Sunday.
In his first start at running back in place of the injured Chuba Hubbard, Dowdle had 206 rushing yards on 23 carries and a touchdown, helping the Panthers come back to win 27-24.
Rico Dowdle 26 TOUCHES, 234 YDS, 1 TD vs MIA Today, Week 5. https://t.co/XtKcw2yaCJ pic.twitter.com/KOSSzgC2ef
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) October 5, 2025
Dowdle, who'd previously had only three 100-yard games in his career, set the pace for Carolina through grinding runs and taking hits; he had 100 yards after contact on the day. He would set up a touchdown pass from Young to Xavier Legette to get Carolina on the board at 17-7 in the second quarter. Dowdle opened things up more after halftime, uncorking a 53-yard sideline run off a pitch from Young that would set up a field goal. With the score at 17-13 with less than 10 minutes left, the running back took a handoff in the backfield and burst up the middle for 43 yards. He would cap the drive with a one-yard run and put the Panthers up for the first time, 20-17.
Dowdle's big day was surely helped by the fact that the Dolphins are one of the worst teams against the run, allowing 158 yards per game this season. But Dowdle wasn't really in a battle against the Dolphins. His true opponent? Leg cramps. With the game hanging in the balance not long after he broke 200 yards, Dowdle disappeared for a stretch of the fourth quarter. In postgame interviews, he claimed the regimen that got him back on track was not Gatorade or some protein-laden bro tonic.
"Lotta pickle juice, Right stuff, water. Massage guns and all that," he told reporters.
Dowdle would miss out the go-ahead score when Young threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Evans. But after the Dolphins crashed out on a three-and-out, he was back to run down the clock and seal the game.
Dowdle ended the day with 234 total yards, and came just four yards short of breaking DeAngelo Williams's franchise single-game rushing record. This is why you stay hydrated, people.
